Frank Rich Quotes

Mr. President, the only way you are going to get this is to make a speech and scare hell out of the country.

If the events of September 11, 2001, have proven anything, it's that the terrorists can attack us, but they can't take away what makes us American - our freedom, our liberty, our civil rights. No, only Attorney General John Ashcroft can do that.

They're sheep. They like Bush enough to credit him with saving the nation after 9/11. Three thousand people get killed, and everybody thinks they're next on the list. The president comes along, and he's got his six-guns strapped on, and people think he's going to save them.

There had to be a hysteria and a fear sent through America in order to get increased war budgets.

Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear--kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor-with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it

After September 11th, every day seems like September 12th.

I want what's best for our country. I'm not sure I can figure that out.

Trump manipulates the fearful by promising that he will use his fraudulent deal-making prowess to protect and take care of his supporters.

Constant reference to a 'war on terror' did accomplish one major objective: It stimulated the emergence of a culture of fear.

If the president of the United States comes after you, you feel concerned.

I'm an unabashed apologist for strong national-security authority. That's why I might be more alarmed by Trump.

We can't let Donald Trump put us at risk.

George Allen was afraid of my image. He wasn't afraid of me.

Snowden has demonstrated true love for his country. He has done something to improve the lives of people.

America's angry. America's scared. They want security from their country.

I so respect Sen. McCain's service to this country, and no one certainly knows more about torture than he does, and so I recognize that.

Fear is hugely contagious. Used skillfully by politicians looking to manipulate voters, it can become toxic and capable of infecting more than just a few.

There's never been an era absent of demagogues.

I do think that when you go into red states, they're - so-called red states - I think they're troubled with certain excesses with respect to the Patriot Act, but they're also concerned with making sure we're secure against terrorism.

My fear in life, I don't have any kind of specifics like snakes or spiders or anything but I think if I was covered in buttermilk naked running down the street being chased by Gandalf, I'd say, or I don't know, I'm just making it up!

There comes a time, there comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer. That time is now and I will not let the Patriot Act, the most unpatriotic of acts go unchallenged.

We are a nation of laws and liberties, not of a knock in the night. So it is time to end the era of John Ashcroft. That starts with replacing the Patriot Act with a new law that protects our people and our liberties at the same time.

If Reagan wins, I'd sell the farm and buy a bomb shelter.

Uhh Gosh, I.. don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those, uhh, exaggerations.