Arlen Specter Quotes

There would always be a vote. There were always conflicts and arguments for years and years - that's why we're not together anymore. But there was always a vote. It was always two out of three.

I understand everybody in this country doesn't agree with the decisions I've made. And I made some tough decisions. But people know where I stand.

There was something special about watching a manager and umpire both convinced they were totally right, but knowing that one had to be wrong. As an ump, those moments made my job fun, and getting 'nose-to-nose' was part of my job description.

Confrontation is something that I accept as part of the project though not its purpose.

It is not he who gains the exact point in dispute who scores most in controversy - but he who has shown the better temper.

After 45 years of marriage, when I have an argument with my wife, if we don't agree, we do what she wants. But, when we agree, we do what I want!

We all agree on the necessity of compromise. We just can't agree on when it's necessary to compromise.

If I don't agree with something, I let people know, and it occasionally leads to tension. But I usually iron things out.

Whenever there's negotiations, there's things that you absolutely love, and there's things that you accept.

The only way to conduct an effective collaboration is to debate the things upon which you disagree. If one doesn't manage to bring the other around to his point of view, then whichever collaborator feels the most passionate about the thing being debated ought to get his way.

I worked with a group of people who argued day and night - professors, officials, the Minister of Finance - but there were decisions that I had to make.

I was born to argue... I don't know why. I mean, from arguing with my teachers and, on occasions, my parents. I think I've mastered the art of argument at a fairly young age.

The day-to-day making of policy is arguing all the time. You're trying to get the right approach and the right answer, and there are moments that aren't very pleasant. But in the end, you look at the overall product.

Well, you can't argue with somebody that won't argue back.

I can do whatever I want. They will tell me if what I am doing is stupid or a total waste of time. I may tell them that they are wrong, and we will come to an agreement.

It is pretty hard to find the right result to a controversial issue.

You are going to make choices and decisions that sometimes aren't going to always work in your favor and they are going to upset some other people.

You can't please everybody all the time, but you can please a majority.

In this job, you're going to make decisions. You'll say things that some people are going to love them, some people are going to hate them. It's just part of the job.

Anybody can decide a question if only a single principle is in controversy.

On any big issue in government there are always going to be disagreements.

Majority rule is not the norm for solving issues or problems.

No you wouldn’t. Not if I were there … It is my party as much as yours, and I answer that we should offer to pay.

Nine times out of ten your two smartest policy advisors disagree.

No quarrel ought ever be converted into a policy.