Bipartisanship & Compromise
Page 7
- The coming firestorm over new power-plant regulations won’t be a genuine debate — just as there isn’t a genuine debate about climate science. Instead, the airwaves will be filled with conspiracy theories and wild claims about costs, all of which should be ignored. Climate policy may finally be getting somewhere; let’s not let crazy climate economics get in the way.
- The relationship has truly been fine. Our defense cooperation and intelligence sharing, which has been substantial in both directions, and our work on anti-missile and anti-rocket defense have been very good. And this work continues under Chuck Hagel and President Obama - and I’m pleased with that. That doesn’t mean we can’t have differences of opinion on Iran.
- In talk radio, in the media, when we are very partisan…a lot of people will say it helps us devolve socially, and that it lends nothing but vitriol and acrimony to an already heightened atmosphere. But the country is divided. All of these polls are always divided. Capitol Hill is divided. How can you say the airwaves or the website should not be divided? We are.
- These are children we are talking about - not just numbers, not just data, not political pawns. And, although most may not meet the refugee threshold needed to stay in the United States, many may. How are we supposed to hold our heads high on humanitarian issues if, in our haste for a fix and our fixation on deterrence, we return even a few children to a place where their lives are in danger?
- I was never going to help [Kevin Spacey with House of Cards]. He kept asking me, and I wouldn’t help him - until I found out he played a Democrat, so I told him to come on in, I’d give him any advice.
- [Kevin Spacey] portrays this person with all the wrong things you hear about Washington. He literally murders one member [of Congress]. If I could murder one member, I'd never have to worry about another vote.
- Constant conflict is actually often good politics, because the more you can inflame your supporters the more likely they are to show up at Election Day. And if they’re more inflamed than the other side, even if the other side has more people agreeing with it, you’ll win, because your crowd will show up.
- Shutting down the government, in my view, is not conservative policy. I don’t think a two-week paid vacation for federal employees is conservative policy. A number of us were saying back in July that this strategy could not and would not work. And, of course, it didn’t. So there’ll not be another government shutdown, you can count on that.
- Do you want smaller government with less handouts, or do you want a low minimum wage? Because you cannot have both. If Colonel Sanders isn't going to pay the lady behind the counter enough to live on, then Uncle Sam has to. And I, for one, am getting a little tired of helping highly-profitable companies pay their workers.
- One faction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government, doesn't get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election.
- You know what? I think the American people are a little pissed, and I think they’re pissed at both parties - I think they’re really pissed at both parties - and it will be reflected during election time…
- It takes courage to speak up against complacency and injustice while others remain silent. But that's what leadership is.