“I've tried to maintain my independence in Congress. Sometimes that has meant opposing my own party leaders.” SometimesMy OwnPartyLeaderIndependenceCongressOpposing Author:Collin Peterson
“Men of many words sometimes argue for the sake of talking; men of ready tongues frequently dispute for the sake of victory; men in public life often debate for the sake of opposing the ruling party, or from any other motive than the love of truth.” MenSometimesPartyTalkingReadyVictorySakeTongueArguingDebateMotiveRulingControversyDisputesPublic LifeOpposing Author:George Crabbe
“The worst effect of party is its tendency to generate narrow, false, and illiberal prejudices, by teaching the adherents of one party to regard those that belong to an opposing party as unworthy of confidence.” PartyTeachingWorstEffectsPrejudiceRegardTendenciesUnworthyOpposing Author:Dorothea Brande
“No political party can ever make prohibition effective. A political party implies an adverse, an opposing, political party. To enforce criminal statutes implies substantial unanimity in the community. This is the result of the jury system. Hence the futility of party prohibition.” PoliticalCommunityResultsPartyAlcoholCriminalsPolitical PartiesJuryOpposingProhibitionFutilityAdverseStatutesUnanimity Author:Rutherford B. Hayes
“The federal government is a machine designed to increase its control over the lives of average Americans. It is constantly probing here, pushing there, and generally increasing its control. Without a philosophically sound, constitutionally based political party opposing that process, it is going to continue to do so with impunity.” GovernmentPoliticalProcessSoundPartyMachinesIncreaseAveragePushingFederal GovernmentPolitical PartiesOpposingImpunityProbing Author:Ed Crane