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Jay Rockefeller

Jay Rockefeller Quotes

United States Senator

Jay Rockefeller is an accomplished American politician, born on June 18, 1937. He served as a U.S. Senator representing the state of West Virginia. During his political career, he focused on economic development, educational reform, and environmental protection.

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Famous Jay Rockefeller Quotes

“One of my problems, so to speak, is that, in America, we tend to think in relatively short-term. In the Middle East and Asia and other parts of the world, they think in terms of centuries or 500 years or 1,000 years.”

Thinking World Years Problem America Speak Term Middle Century East Middle East Asia Short Term

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“Iran is nothing but trouble, and always has been that.”

Has Beens Trouble Iran

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“Everything is about accountability to the American people, accountability of the executive branch ... [and] accountability of the oversight of the Congress.”

People Congress Branches Executives Accountability Oversight Executive Branch

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“For the past three years, the Senate intelligence committee has avoided carrying out its oversight of our nation's intelligence programs whenever the White House becomes uncomfortable with the questions being asked. The very independence of this committee is called into question.”

Years Past Three House Nations White Program Independence Uncomfortable White House Three Years Senate Committees Avoided Oversight

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“I don't think so, and that's partly the problem of not checking cargo, and it's partly the problem of biological weapons, which nobody has figured out really what to do about yet.”

Thinking Problem Weapons Parting Cargo Biological Weapons

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“We will push through health care reform regardless of the views of the American people.”

People Care Views Reform Health Care Health Care Reform

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“Pat Roberts and I both feel very strongly that when we get to Iran, that we can't make the same mistakes. We have to ask the questions, the hard questions before, not afterwards, and get the right intelligence.”

Feels Hard Asks Mistake Iran Very Strong Same Mistakes Hard Questions

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“What is private and what is discussed behind closed doors, you do not have to be instructed at the age of fifty or sixty or forty or whatever to not talk about it outside.”

Age Forty Sixty

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“The reason I love being a senator is that I can have whatever thoughts I have, say whatever I want about any subject at any time, and that is a wonderful feeling of freedom, and I cherish that.”

Reason Feelings Love Is Wonderful Cherish

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“There is a difference between being a political force, or a political apparent force or a potential force, and between a real discourse or a real argument.”

Real Political Argument

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“Once you arrive at an interpretation which you are comfortable in giving, no matter how specious it might be, and you are comfortable doing it, you stay there, you just stay there, and the facts are not going to change you.”

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“Everybody is a football senator for a while, but it is a much shorter season and there are not that many teams that are on top, and baseball is just built into the American psyche.”

Team Football Baseball

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“The Republicans, in the various arguments, repeat exactly the same phrases one after another, with no sense of embarrassment, no sense of shame, no sense of intellectual integrity.”

Integrity Republican Intellectual Argument Shame Various Embarrassment

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years, and he could have it earlier.”

“It would be a big favor to political discourse; to our ability to do our work here in Congress; and to the American people, to be able to talk with each other and have some faith in their government and, more importantly, in their future.”

People Bigs Government Would Be Able Political Ability Congress Favors Discourse Political Discourse

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“Allowing the U.N. into Iraq will demonstrate to the Iraqis that the international community as a whole is committed to bringing stability and safety to their country.”

Country Whole Community Safety International Iraq Committed Allowing Stability International Community

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“One year after the United States led the invasion of Iraq, the country remains extremely dangerous not only to our troops, but also to the stability of the world.”

World Years Country States United United States Dangerous Remains Iraq Stability Troops Invasion Our Troops

Author:Jay Rockefeller

“Saddam's existing biological and chemical weapons capabilities pose a very real threat to America, now. Saddam has used chemical weapons before, both against Iraq's enemies and against his own people. He is working to develop delivery systems like missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles that could bring these deadly weapons against U.S. forces and U.S. facilities in the Middle East.”

“We have to bring stability to Iraq, otherwise we will be faced with a future dilemma of sending our loved ones into harms way to stop a civil war or the rise of a new tyrant born from the instability that we created.”

Way War Born Iraq Harm Civil War Stability Tyrants Loved Ones Dilemma Instability Moral Dilemma

Author:Jay Rockefeller

About the Author

Born: June 18, 1937
Known for: United States Senator
Quotes: 19

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