Edward Kennedy Quotations

The Constitution does not just protect those whose views we share; it also protects those with whose views we disagree.

The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.

Integrity is the lifeblood of democracy. Deceit is a poison in its veins.

We are giving assurance to the American families that help is on its way.

It's now clear that from the very moment President Bush took office, Iraq was his highest priority as unfinished business from the first Bush Administration. His agenda was clear: find a rationale to get rid of Saddam.

Frankly, I don't mind not being President. I just mind that someone else is.

For all my years in public life, I have believed that America must sail toward the shores of liberty and justice for all. There is no end to that journey, only the next great voyage. We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make.

The Republicans are looking after the financial interests of the wealthiest individuals in this country.

We want to support our troops because they didn't make the decision to go there... but I don't think it should be open-ended. We ought to have a benchmark where the administration has to come back and give us a report.

Thus, the controversy about the Moral Majority arises not only from its views, but from its name - which, in the minds of many, seems to imply that only one set of public policies is moral and only one majority can possibly be right.

There was no imminent threat. This was made up in Texas, announced in January to the Republican leadership that war was going to take place and was going to be good politically. This whole thing was a fraud.

Dad, I'm in some trouble. There's been an accident and you're going to hear all sorts of things about me from now on. Terrible things.

Make no mistake about it! There is an organized movement against organized labor and it's called the Bush Administration.

Shamefully we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management, U.S. management.

We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.

Today, we say the only thing we have to fear is four more years of George Bush.

must also determine whether (Roberts) has demonstrated a commitment to the constitutional principles that have been so vital in advancing fairness, decency and equal opportunity in our society.

No action -- criminal, administrative, or otherwise -- has been taken against the high civilian officials responsible for the authorization of torture and mistreatment by U.S. officials.

One of the things the American people are very concerned about is shabby work and that certainly is true about the families whose houses are going to be rebuilt and buildings that are going to be restored,

I have come here today to express my view that America should not go to war against Iraq unless and until other reasonable alternatives are exhausted,

If they are so efficient, why do they need a handout? ... Talk about a fair playing field between the Medicare and the private sector. That's hogwash, that's hogwash.

major breakthrough in our effort to give senior citizens the prescription drug coverage under Medicare they need and deserve.

Many of us are hoping that he will take advantage of it, ... Whether he will or not, I don't know.

Many of us respect his ability on the issues and his intense commitment to the principles he believes in, ... We know that while serving in high office, he has time and again aggressively used litigation and legislation in creative and inappropriate ways to advance his political and ideological goals.

Many of the documents made it clear that as a junior official in the Reagan administration, he was part of an intense effort to impede progress on numerous key issues, such as progress on equal rights for women.

Sen. Ashcroft has a deeply disturbing record on issue after issue of vital importance to millions of Americans.

She was the most beautiful rose of all.

When the roll is called on this $87 billion legislation, which provides no effective conditions for genuine international participation and a clear change in policy in Iraq, I intend to vote no,

I am so proud of the city and the unions for giving it their all and reaching an agreement. This will be a wonderful week for Boston, for John Kerry and for the Democratic Party.

Four years after 9/11, as the administration's bungled response to Hurricane Katrina makes clear, we're obviously not adequately prepared to deal with another devastating attack.

For years, under the Medicare system, it was a universal system in the sense that people would pay in all across this nation. Now that concept is being challenged and, I believe, undermined.

Future additional tax breaks for the wealthy do not deserve a higher priority than strengthening education or covering prescription drugs under Medicare or protecting Social Security or meeting other urgent national priorities,

free themselves from the albatross of the IRA.

I am disappointed that FDA waited until this late hour to address a legal question that could and should have been resolved months ago. I urge FDA to act quickly to approve this needed reproductive option for women.

I don't think it's wise for members to try and outline a strategy other than to make sure these hearings are comprehensive and they're done with dignity and respect for the nominee. The future will take care of itself.

I expect he will announce his candidacy and I expect to support him and I expect he'll win.

I believe we can have a strong bipartisan bill in the next session,

Based on the record available, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that Judge Roberts's view of the rule of law would include as paramount the protection of basic rights,

But all the Administration released was a glossy brochure and a plan for a single agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, and even that was missing its most important element, the actual operational plans for responding to a pandemic epidemic,

Today is an ominous day for the country, signifying a new low since Watergate in terms of openness and honesty in our government,

Hate crimes are a national disgrace, and they attack everything this country stands for,

Have you done anything for our school children, have you done anything for our parents, have you done anything about prescription drugs, have you done anything to make our health care system safer? ... The answer to all of those is 'no, we have not.'

What will happen is the money will go to whomever the governor wants to take care of without tough accountability, and these needy children will be left high and dry.

We have to ask ourselves, are we going to be better off before the conflict or after the conflict -- let alone, how are we going to ever get out of Iraq? And if we go it alone, who's going to be there, stay there and pay the bill? ... Face the Nation.

We have to ask ourselves, is there any limit to executive authority that this nominee will recognize?

He was a constant profile in courage on countless issues, continually insisting that the Senate live up to its ideals and always willing to wage lonely battles for noble causes.

He did indicate that he's an older person, that he's learned more, that he thinks he's a wiser person and he has a better grasp and understanding about constitutional rights and liberties.

Hopefully, this dramatic and historic step toward peace will be embraced by the (Protestant) unionist community and become a new dawn for the peace process, so that the all-important restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly can take place as soon as possible.

Hopefully, this statement means we're finally nearing the end of this very long process to take guns and criminality out of politics in Northern Ireland once and for all.

Joe embodied the highest ideals and values of the nation, and public service is a more noble profession because of his life and his example.

My own position is I don't think we ought to abandon schools by taking money away from public schools in order to save them. And that's been my position for some period of time,

long-awaited first step toward a comprehensive pandemic flu plan that America needs and deserves.

Surely, we can have effective relationships with other nations without adopting a chip-on-the-shoulder foreign policy, a my-way-or-the-highway policy that makes all our goals in the world more difficult to achieve,

President Bush must do more than give speeches, ... He must demonstrate leadership by saying no to his right-wing allies who want to close our borders and yes to the business community, labor unions and Hispanic Americans who want realistic and comprehensive immigration reform.

President Bush should provide the information ... rather than hiding behind a privilege that doesn't exist and encouraging Roberts to not answer questions, ... The American people deserve to know who John Roberts is and where he stands on the vital issues before the country.

It is essential for NIH to meet stringent ethical standards, while allowing the exchange of ideas and information that is the lifeblood of scientific discovery, ... The new regulations strike that balance effectively. They guard against improper conflicts of interest, and will allow NIH to continue to attract researchers of the highest caliber.

Judge Pickering's record reflects a hostility to civil rights and a vision of the Republican Party that reminds Americans of a painful time in our nation's history, ... Those who lack a strong commitment to our nation's fundamental ideals and principles do not belong in our federal judiciary.

I think the Vice-President ought to re-read the constitution.

Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, (and) rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids,

Otis has a new lease on life. The revised report means the base will continue, but with new missions that will give it a strong future role in protecting the security of the Commonwealth and the region.

Our troops deserve better, Mr. Secretary. I think the American people deserve better, ... They deserve competency, and they deserve the facts. In baseball, it's three strikes and you're out. What is it for the secretary of defense?

Our armed forces are serving ably in Iraq under enormously difficult circumstances, and the policy of our government must be worthy of their sacrifice. Unfortunately, it is not, and the American people know it.

I think my candidate, John Kerry, has now demonstrated that he's a fighter,

I think my friend and colleague John Kerry is doing a great job, ... I think he was out early, he's worked hard, he's speaking to all of these issues, and I expect he will announce his candidacy and I expect to support him and I expect he'll win.

I think most American workers want to make sure that when they have actually purchased health insurance, they're going to get the insurance they have purchased,

It is possible to love America while concluding that it is not now wise to go to war, ... The standard that should guide us is especially clear when lives are on the line. We must ask what is right for our country and not party.

We need more than photo-ops and spin control to win this war. We need an effective plan to achieve our goals in Iraq and protect our troops. The president once again offered neither. He needs to realize what most Americans now understand -- that staying the course is not an option.

The president has moved the goal posts. Americans understand changing the rules of the game; they don't like it,

You do agree, don't you, Judge Roberts, that the right to vote is a fundamental constitutional right?

We are determined to have these issues debated in Congress this fall,

We know that the current system is broken,

The advertising, the appeal of 'Mr. Camel' that takes place outside of school yards all across this country is just enticing these young people into this action,

You know it's kind of interesting, our Republican friends have spent $80 million to distort, misrepresent and basically lie about John Kerry's record, ... That's because they haven't got a record of their own.

We can only wonder what they don't want us to know.

We must stop acting as if somehow this fundamental issue is just a state and local problem. It isn't. It's a national problem, and it's an outrage that Congress has been missing in action for so long.

This program will prevent pension failures and the incredible suffering they cause for workers and retirees,

There is clear and convincing evidence that John Roberts is the wrong choice for chief justice, ... I oppose the nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

No one who works for a living should live in poverty.

For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.

Have faith in yourself and in the future.

Even one justice can advance or reverse the progress of our journey.

Health care is not just another commodity. It is not a gift to be rationed based on the ability to pay. It is time to make universal health insurance a national priority, so that the basic right to health care can finally become a reality for every American.

Do we operate under a system of equal justice under law? Or is there one system for the average citizen and another for the high and mighty?

What divides us pales in comparison to what unites us.

I had the privilege of chairing Judge Samuel Alito confirmation hearing in 1990. And at that time, he had practiced law for 14 years, but only represented one client, the United States government.

I hope for an America where we can all contend freely and vigorously, but where we will treasure and guard those standards of civility which alone make this nation safe for both democracy and diversity.

Ultimately, the courts will make the final judgment whether the White House has gone too far. Independent and impartial judges must assess the proper balance between protecting our liberties and protecting our national security.

It's disgraceful that year after year, Congress has bowed to the tobacco lobby and refused to act.

My colleague Sen. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Republican, erroneously suggested that I support the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to biological evolution. That simply is not true. ... Unlike biological evolution, intelligent design is not a genuine scientific theory and, therefore, has no place in the curriculum of our nation's public school science classes.

It is a moral issue how we are going to treat workers. On these issues, these are moral issues, principled issues, where there aren't compromises.

There is no morality in the mushroom cloud. The black rain of nuclear ashes will fall alike on the just and the unjust. And then it will be too late to wish that we had done the real work of this atomic age, which is to seek a world that is neither red nor dead.

The torture and other sadistic abuses of prisoners in Iraq have done immense damage already to America's reputation in the world, and the worst may be yet to come. Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management: U.S. management.

I hate to see a young man get ahead on the basis of a famous family name.

Judges are appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. And it is our duty to ask questions on great issues that matter to the American people and to speak for them.

We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we made.

Violence is an admission that one's ideas and goals cannot prevail on their own merits.

Historians will come to their own judgments about President Kennedy. Here is how I choose to remember him. He was an heir to wealth who felt the anguish of the poor. He was an orator of excellence who spoke for the voiceless. He was a son of Harvard who reached out to the sons and daughters of Appalachia. He was a man of special grace who had a special care for the retarded and handicapped. He was a hero of war who fought hardest for peace. He said and proved in word and deed that one man can make a difference.

I think a child calling for his mother is the most beautiful sound in the world.

In an era when America is still too divided by race and by riches, Judge [Samuel] Alito has not written one single opinion on the merits in favor of a person of color alleging race discrimination on the job: in 15 years on the bench, not one.

I have fallen short in my life, but my faith has always brought me home.