Political Impasse Quotes

As the nation's attention turns from Washington politics to the Obamacare disaster, Democrats will have no choice but to reconsider our fair and reasonable proposals to delay the law.

We can't have the government of the United States shut down when a group doesn't like something. This is almost an act of insurrection.

Congress is almost totally dysfunctional right now. All we've done this year and my first year in the Senate ... is barely keep the doors open.

These people have elevated audacity to symphonic and operatic levels. The Florida Supreme Court relied on new law to resolve the election dispute down there.

The President was determined to have his way, and the Senate were equally determined to have theirs. Unfortunately, the Senate had the power to compel the President to yield or lose confirmation of the Treaty, and equally unfortunately, he refused to give way. As far as his approach to the Senate was concerned, in my judgment, the President's purpose was impeccable but his manner unfortunate.

We do not expect much from a pre-election [American] government. It is hostage to the election process.

The middle in Congress is gone now. That is where we got most things done.

In our political system it’s easier to block action than to act.

When national policy becomes hostage to regional interests, the federal government becomes paralysed and would be unable to act in the larger national interest.

This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.

Everybody hates Congress; even Congress hates Congress.

We've had a tone-deaf White House that does not want to be reasonable. President Obama won't meet with the Republicans. It's all his way.

I think reconciliation is Obama's goal - but the fight with the Republicans is like a fight with pit bulls, they never let go. Even worse, now the Republicans feel they can keep pushing and he will keep giving. They have not seen a stiff resistance on his part.

We already have a sabbatical system. It's called opposition, and I've had enough of it.

Then came the hostage crisis during which Carter did nothing to rattle the ayatollahs who hung tough until Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, when they suddenly backed down.

Everyone in Washington knows what needs to be done. They just don’t do it because there’s always someone else they can blame.

While most nations seemed to agree that something had to be done, every nation seemed to have a reason why some other nation should do it. So we sat, waiting for a promise to be kept, reduced to the role of accountants keeping track of how many were being killed.

Congress doesn’t do comprehensive well.

The attitude of the Senate toward public affairs makes all serious negotiations impossible.

I reached a situation in which I cannot conduct the presidency.

Grand bargains area a bad idea. Grand bargains are usually sought by people who do not want to make any progress.

There is no getting around it; Congress is failing the American people.

The only way to deal with gridlock is compromise. And if we compromise, it means we’ll have a confused policy.

Despite overwhelming and irrefutable evidence to the contrary, President Obama continues to believe that he can negotiate with Republicans.

[Referring to the Democrats:] They can't get elected unless things get worse, and things won't get worse unless they get elected.