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I believe that I am because I have common sense. And I have, I believe, the values that are reflective of so many other American values. And I believe that what Americans are seeking is not the elitism, the kind of a spinelessness that perhaps is made up for that with some kind of elite Ivy League education and a fact resume that’s based on anything but hard work and private sector, free enterprise principles. Americans could be seeking something like that in positive change in their leadership. I’m not saying that has to be me.
— Facebook blogger Sarah Palin, outlining her qualifications for the presidency
“Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong it’s reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.”
— Abraham Lincoln
“No one wants Rush Limbaugh to die. But they do want his doctors to fail.”
Passing legislation, it turns out, is a long and ugly process. God, is it ugly. The compromises, both with powerful special interests and decisive senators. The trimming of ambitions and the budget gimmicks and the worship of Congressional Budget Office scores. By the end, you’re passing a compromise of a deal of a negotiation of a concession … It’s not pretty, and it doesn’t necessarily feel like winning is supposed to feel … It’s been a long time since the legislative system did anything this big, and people have forgotten how awful the victories are. But these are the victories, and if they feel bad to many, they will do good for more. As that comes clearer and clearer, this bill will come to feel more and more like the historic advance it actually is.
— Ezra Klein, writing in the Washington Post, on passage of the health care bill.
I said, ‘Let’s start doing some Glenn Beck stuff, but in praise of Glenn Beck.’ But every time we do one, he will have done something dumber. He raised the stupid bar and now it’s nearly inapproachable. I worry that if we use that as a model … if somebody doesn’t believe what they’re saying, it’s very hard to out-stupid them. Because then there’s no place to sink our hook into, there’s no mountain to climb there. I can’t climb Glenn Beck since there’s nothing there.
— Stephen Colbert, on the paradoxical difficulty of mocking Glenn Beck’s outsize TV antics.
I will not leave until my friends in the Senate have completed their work. My attitude is if they are making these sacrifices to provide health care to all Americans, the least I can do is be around and provide them any encouragement and last-minute help.
— President Obama, on delaying his planned Hawaii vacation until the Senate passes the health care reform bill.
They’re willing to basically flip the bird to the American people on this issue and slip it in in the dead of night.
— RNC Chairman Michael Steele, always there with a classy one-liner, quoted by Think Progress, on Senate Democrats voting for cloture on the health care bill at 1 a.m.
If the bill passes the Senate this week, there will be more chances to make changes to it before it becomes law. But if the bill dies this week, there is no second chance to vote yes. What those who care about health insurance reform need to realize is that unless we get 60 votes now, there will be no health care reform at all. Not this year, not in this Congress — and maybe not for another generation.
— Vice President Joe Biden, writing for the New York Times on health care reform.
We’re not here to husband our poll numbers like a trophy on a shelf.
— White House adviser David Axelrod, quoted by The Nation, when asked about President Obama’s falling approval rate.
Our Democratic friends are about to walk off a political cliff here.
— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by the New York Times, on trying to pass health care reform without any Republican support.
