Arlen Specter Quotes

In our social contract, we have provisions that see to it that you take care of people who need some help.

- Arlen Specter

Need, Some, Social, Contract

Beating the tea party gang is more important than who does the beating.

- Arlen Specter

Tea, Important, Gang, Beating

Heart disease continues to be the number one killer; cancer, the number 2 killer, not far behind. The tragic aspect of these deadly diseases is that they could all be cured, I do believe, if we had sufficient funding.

- Arlen Specter

Believe, Behind, Had, Deadly

People in government and public life are being kicked around at a high rate of speed.

- Arlen Specter

Government, High, Public, Kicked

My tenure in the Senate was really as an independent and whichever, regardless of party label.

- Arlen Specter

Independent, Senate, Label

Strong advocacy for education, health care and worker safety will be indispensable if they are to get their fair share of President Bush's austere budget for the next fiscal year.

- Arlen Specter

Education, Strong, Next, Advocacy

I'm battling cancer. It's another battle I intend to win.

- Arlen Specter

Battle, Another, Battling, Intend

I just was not going to subject my record to the bleak prospects of a primary election.

- Arlen Specter

Election, Going, Subject, Bleak

As the Republican Party has moved farther and farther to the right, I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more in line with the philosophy of the Democratic Party.

- Arlen Specter

More, Increasingly, Farther, Odds

Whatever my party affiliation, I will continue to be guided by President Kennedy's statement that sometimes party asks too much.

- Arlen Specter

Too Much, Sometimes, Will, Guided

The essence of a democracy is a free electorate.

- Arlen Specter

Democracy, Free, Essence, Electorate

I don't like labels. I think they conceal more than they reveal, sort of like a bikini.

- Arlen Specter

Think, Conceal, I Think, Bikini

We don't need holy wars. What we need is tolerance and brotherhood and simple humanity.

- Arlen Specter

Brotherhood, Need, Holy, Tolerance

My definition of winning at squash is playing and surviving, and I've never lost a match.

- Arlen Specter

Winning, Lost, Never, Squash

I've been playing squash almost daily for 38 years.

- Arlen Specter

Daily, Been, Almost, Squash

If we had pursued what President Nixon declared in 1970 as the war on cancer, we would have cured many strains. I think Jack Kemp would be alive today. And that research has saved or prolonged many lives, including mine.

- Arlen Specter

Alive, I Think, Nixon, Jack

Look, the president can discharge all 93 U.S. attorneys for no reason at all, but not for a bad reason.

- Arlen Specter

Reason, Bad, Attorneys, Discharge

There's nothing in the First Amendment that even remotely talks about spending money for political contests, and to say that an individual can spend as much of his or her own money as he or she wants constitutionally without any limitation, I think is just absurd.

- Arlen Specter

Limitation, Amendment, Contests

Fundraising is very, very time-consuming.

- Arlen Specter

Time-Consuming, Very, Fundraising

If enough people would come out the right wing, the extremists couldn't dominate.

- Arlen Specter

Come, Extremists, Right Wing, Wing

The extremists took over the primary process.

- Arlen Specter

Process, Over, Took, Primary

It's a rarity when someone takes a political risk in Washington today in the public interest.

- Arlen Specter

Interest, Someone, Public, Public Interest

I beat a brain tumor.

- Arlen Specter

Brain, Beat, Tumor

I've made a career of being precise.

- Arlen Specter

Career, Made, Being, Precise

Stability means respecting precedents.

- Arlen Specter

Means, Respecting, Stability

We are not utilizing the Iraqi oil for U.S. purposes. We are not asking that the Iraqi oil be used to pay our military expenses. We are asking only that the Iraqi oil be used to rebuild Iraq - that is, to rebuild Iraq for the Iraqi people.

- Arlen Specter

Asking, Rebuild, Utilizing, Iraqi People

I ran for president in 1996.

- Arlen Specter

President, Ran

But one way or another, judges perform a very vital function in our society. They have a risky job and they are entitled to security.

- Arlen Specter

Another, Very, Entitled, Risky

Separation of power says the judiciary committee is supposed to confirm qualified judges and then what the Supreme Court does, that is their function, not my function.

- Arlen Specter

Committee, Qualified, Judges

I think my independence was a big help to getting Judges Roberts and Alito confirmed, and I think that's recognized.

- Arlen Specter

Think, Big, I Think, Judges

I knew people were going to see me see deteriorate before their eyes.

- Arlen Specter

See, Going, Before, Deteriorate

When the students are occupied, they're not juvenile delinquents. I believe that education is a capital investment.

- Arlen Specter

Education, Students, Capital, Juvenile

If you are going to have to play defense all the time, you cannot have the kind of ingenuity, assertiveness, independence, and intelligence which is what has made our country strong.

- Arlen Specter

Play, Country, Which, Ingenuity

It costs about $27 million to win a seat in the United States Senate, so when you win one, you like to sit down.

- Arlen Specter

United, Costs, United States, Sit

I think if you can get people to laugh, you can get people to listen.

- Arlen Specter

Think, Get, I Think, Laugh

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party.

- Arlen Specter

Package, Would, Stimulus Package

I do not represent the Republican Party.

- Arlen Specter

Party, Republican Party, Represent

I think it's scandalous that we haven't done more to cure cancer.

- Arlen Specter

Think, More, I Think, Scandalous

When the 14th Amendment, equal protection clause was enacted, the galleries in the Senate were segregated. Now we have integration.

- Arlen Specter

Amendment, Clause, Equal Protection

The Supreme Court has a very light backlog. They leave a lot of splits among the circuits, a lot of uncertainty. And I think they ought to work a lot harder.

- Arlen Specter

Think, I Think, Very, Ought

The best way to reduce the cost of medical care is to reduce the illness.

- Arlen Specter

Medical, Best Way, Reduce, Illness

As I think through the issue of funding the rebuilding of Iraq, I think about the analogy of a bankruptcy proceeding. There is no doubt that Iraq as a country is bankrupt.

- Arlen Specter

Think, Country, Through, Analogy

I must say I am not pleased to have to arrange the Senate schedule around the availability of Senators who are running for President.

- Arlen Specter

Say, Around, Am, Availability

It is with unwelcome frequency that I find myself the deciding vote.

- Arlen Specter

Myself, Find, Deciding, Vote

As a matter of traditional and sound constitutional doctrine, an amendment to the Constitution should be the last resort when all other measures have proved inadequate.

- Arlen Specter

Other, Amendment, Inadequate, Doctrine

When Pat Robertson says there is no constitutional doctrine of separation of church and state, I say he is wrong.

- Arlen Specter

Church, Pat, Robertson, Doctrine

I have not taken a position on that nuclear option. My view is I'm not going to do anything until I come to that bridge. I'm not going to jump off the bridge until I come to it.

- Arlen Specter

Going, Come, Off, Bridge

American credibility in the war on terrorism depends on a strong stand against all terrorist acts, whether committed by foe or friend.

- Arlen Specter

Strong, Depends, Committed, Foe

Americans' addiction to sports, with the NFL at the top, is based on the excitement generated by the potential for the unexpected great play which can only happen with honest competition from great athletes.

- Arlen Specter

Play, Which, Based, Excitement

The fundamental purpose of government is to protect its citizens.

- Arlen Specter

Purpose, Government, Protect

There are conspiracies all over the Senate floor on any day!

- Arlen Specter

Over, Senate, Conspiracies, Floor

I'm ordinarily pretty correct in what I say.

- Arlen Specter

Say, Pretty, Correct, Ordinarily

My father was an immigrant who literally walked across Europe to get out of Russia. He fought in World War I. He was wounded in action. My father was a great success even though he never had money. He was a very determined man, a great role model.

- Arlen Specter

World War I, Role, Very, Europe

There is no higher value in our society than integrity.

- Arlen Specter

Integrity, Society, Than, Higher

Cannibals are devouring senators.

- Arlen Specter

Senators, Cannibals

Voting is fundamental in our democracy. It has yielded enormous returns.

- Arlen Specter

Voting, Fundamental, Returns

If Romney wants to make me responsible for ObamaCare, I've said I would be proud to be responsible for it.

- Arlen Specter

Proud, Would, Romney, Obamacare

I don't expect people to agree with all my votes.

- Arlen Specter

People, Expect, Agree, Votes

It's been a great privilege to serve the people of Pennsylvania.

- Arlen Specter

Privilege, Serve, Been, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a very tough state; people don't last long in Pennsylvania politics.

- Arlen Specter

Politics, Last, Very, Pennsylvania

I really do not make deals.

- Arlen Specter

Make, Really, Deals

The solicitor general is sometimes referred to as the 10th Supreme Court justice - a pretty important position.

- Arlen Specter

Sometimes, Pretty, Solicitor, Referred

Lawyers advocate more so than state their own positions.

- Arlen Specter

Lawyers, More, Than, Advocate

There's a great public disinclination toward politicians.

- Arlen Specter

Great, Public, Toward, Politicians

I am opposed to anybody making a decision for you or me or anybody else about what health care plan we should have.

- Arlen Specter

Decision, Making, Opposed, Health Care

Big money is ruining the political system.

- Arlen Specter

Big, System, Big Money, Ruining

I've been in a lot of elections.

- Arlen Specter

Been, Lot, Elections

Well, I believe that when you are confirming a United States Supreme Court Justice, that it really isn't Democratic or Republican; it's American.

- Arlen Specter

United, United States, Court

The First Amendment freedom of religion is as important today as when the Bill of Rights was first written.

- Arlen Specter

Amendment, Bill Of Rights, Bill

There's nothing more important than our good health - that's our principal capital asset.

- Arlen Specter

Health, More, Capital, Good Health

There is no doubt that our nation's security and defeating terrorism trump all other priorities.

- Arlen Specter

Security, Other, Trump, Priorities

My mother, Lillie Specter, was an angel and totally uninterested in politics.

- Arlen Specter

Mother, Politics, Angel

When I'm asked about legacy, I say it's too early to talk about legacy.

- Arlen Specter

Legacy, About, Too, Asked

The American people do not care which Party solves the problems confronting our nation.

- Arlen Specter

Nation, Which, Confronting, American People

I have been a Republican since 1966.

- Arlen Specter

Been, Since, Republican

It so happens that I'm pro choice.

- Arlen Specter

Happens, Pro, Choice

I am very much opposed to abortion personally. But I don't think it is the government's rule.

- Arlen Specter

Think, Very, Opposed, Personally

Effective security measures do not come cheap.

- Arlen Specter

Security, Come, Effective, Cheap

I'm a loyal Democrat.

- Arlen Specter

Loyal, Democrat

You know, a statesman is a dead politician.

- Arlen Specter

Dead, Know, Statesman, Politician

'Never give in' was my mindset.

- Arlen Specter

Never, Give, Mindset

It's inspirational to see someone who is dying smile.

- Arlen Specter

Inspirational, See, Someone, Dying

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