Barack Obama Quotes

Very often in political debate questions of fact turn into questions of motive.

The floor of the U.S. Senate isn't a place that usually sees a lot of drama.

I enjoyed debate on the floor but it's not really debate in the same way.

My goal is to reach out to communicate every day, whether I'm in Washington or in the congressional district. In Washington, the best opportunity to do that is on the House floor. It's both a responsibility and an opportunity. I enjoy, every day, taking to the House floor to address an issue or event that is significant for constituents.

Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing. Nobody listens—and then everybody disagrees.

Parliament will train you to talk; and above all things to hear, with patience, unlimited quantities of foolish talk.

You can't have your own way in Congress.

The interests of the assembly are best subserved by allowing the floor to alternate between the friends and enemies of a measure.

When I first went to Washington [the senate], I thought, what is l'il ole me doing with these ninety-nine great people? Now I ask myself, what am I doing with those ninety-nine jerks?

Arguments are made in Washington with very few facts behind them.

One of Mitt Romney’s spokespeople said, “we will not be dictated to by the fact checkers”. What that really means is “we will not be dictated to by the facts.” But the changing demographics is a fact. The Republicans may not compromise with the Democrats, but they are going to have to compromise with reality.

We are there to be an opposition to the Democratic philosophy and the only way to do that is through confrontation.

This is a place where trivial issues get debated passionately and important ones not at all.

Most Canadians don't understand the House of Commons. They turn on their televisions, see us yelling at one another, and dismiss us as a bunch of fools.

Criticism, any amount, we welcome it. Come, let's have a discussion - in Parliament, all the better.

The Senate is allowed to work the way it was designed to - meaning a place where nothing is decided without a good dose of deliberation and debate, as well as input from both the majority and minority parties - it arrives at a result that is acceptable to people all along the political spectrum.

Dialogue is the essence of parliamentary politics.

There is nothing more amusing than when two people known for being non-objective argue over objectivity. This is the summation of Keith Olbermann vs. Ted Koppell.

You pretty much have to be prepared to talk about whatever the news is. Running for Congress was good practice for that.

If you're going to talk about politics, then there are going to be folks who are with you and folks that are against you.

Politicians have an arrogance that I just do not understand. I've seen more constructive debates in high school.

I cannot appreciate anybody who creates controversy over things which do not exist. I can tolerate controversy over things which truly happened, but not over inexistent things.

In a body [like Congress] where there are more than one hundred talking lawyers, you can make no calculation upon the termination of any debate.

I look forward to continuing the debate about Britain's future - in Parliament and across the country.

If a storyteller worried about the facts - my dear Lucian, how could he ever get at the truth?