Edward Kennedy Quotes & Sayings

Separation of church and state cannot mean an absolute separation between moral principles and political power. — Edward Kennedy

I believe that religious witness should not mobilize public authority to impose a view where a decision is inherently private in nature or where people are deeply divided about whether it is ... Americans are plainly and persistently divided about abortion and the fiat of government cannot settle the issue as a matter of conscience or of conduct. — Edward Kennedy

Make no mistake about it! There is an organized movement against organized labor and it's called the Bush Administration. — Edward Kennedy

In an era when America is still too divided by race and by riches, Judge [Samuel] Alito has not written one single opinion on the merits in favor of a person of color alleging race discrimination on the job: in 15 years on the bench, not one. — Edward Kennedy

I don't think America can just drill itself out of its current energy situation. We don't need to destroy the environment to meet our energy needs. We need smart, comprehensive, common-sense approaches that balance the need to increase domestic energy supplies with the need to maximize energy efficiency. — Edward Kennedy

In decision after decision on the bench, Judge [Samuel] Alito has excused abusive actions by the authorities that intrude on the personal privacy and freedoms of average Americans. — Edward Kennedy

The tax system is stacked against the average taxpayer. — Edward Kennedy

If a legislator is safe from competition, or if he represents groups with the same economic and political beliefs, he does not have to change his ideas or respond to the needs of the broader population. He can rest content with a mediocre, absentee performance knowing he will be returned to office. And as he is returned year after year the seniority system gives him immense control over people from other parts of the country whose views he need not heed at all. — Edward Kennedy

I favor access to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. — Edward Kennedy

Even one justice can advance or reverse the progress of our journey. — Edward Kennedy

It's now clear that from the very moment President Bush took office, Iraq was his highest priority as unfinished business from the first Bush Administration. His agenda was clear: find a rationale to get rid of Saddam. — Edward Kennedy

In fact, the legal system is in part responsible for their very size and growth. And too often when the individual finds himself in conflict with these forces, the legal system sides with the giant institution, not the small businessman or private citizen. — Edward Kennedy

Health care is not just another commodity. It is not a gift to be rationed based on the ability to pay. It is time to make universal health insurance a national priority, so that the basic right to health care can finally become a reality for every American. — Edward Kennedy

Although my doctors informed me that I suffered a cerebral concussion, as well as shock, I do not seek to escape responsibility for my actions by placing the blame either on the physical and emotional trauma brought on by the accident, or on anyone else. I regard as indefensible the fact that I did not report the accident to the police immediately. — Edward Kennedy

She's a wonderful, wonderful person, and we're looking to a happy and wonderful night - ah, life. — Edward Kennedy

Regulation has gone astray ... Either because they have become captives of regulated industries or captains of outmoded administrative agencies, regulators all too often encourage or approve unreasonably high prices, inadequate service, and anticompetitive behavior. The cost of this regulation is always passed on to the consumer. And that cost is astronomical. — Edward Kennedy

Individual faults and frailties are no excuse to give in - and no exemption from the common obligation to give of ourselves. — Edward Kennedy

That is a pretty big deal from a commitment standpoint. — Edward Kennedy

We cannot simply speak out against an escalation of troops in Iraq, we must act to prevent it ... There can be no doubt that the Constitution gives Congress the authority to decide whether to fund military action, and Congress can demand a justification from the president for such action before it appropriates the funds to carry it out. — Edward Kennedy

The demand of our people in 1980 is not for smaller government or bigger government but for better government. — Edward Kennedy

Dad, I'm in some trouble. There's been an accident and you're going to hear all sorts of things about me from now on. Terrible things. — Edward Kennedy

We should stop the non-scientific, pseudo-scientific, and anti-scientific nonsense emanating from the right wing, and start demanding immediate action to reduce global warming and prevent catastrophic climate change that may be on our horizon now. We must not let the [Bush] Administration distort science and rewrite and manipulate scientific reports in other areas. We must not let it turn the Environmental Protection Agency into the Environmental Pollution Agency. — Edward Kennedy

Have faith in yourself and in the future. — Edward Kennedy

The Republican program is the profit-protection program for the insurance industry It's a bill of goods, it's a bill of wrongs. Ours is a patients' bill of rights. — Edward Kennedy

If Saddam's regime and survival are threatened [by invasion], he will have nothing to lose, and may use everything at his disposal ... If weapons of mass destruction land on Israeli soil, killing innocent civilians, the experts I have consulted believe Israel will retaliate, and possibly with nuclear weapons ... Nor can we rule out the possibility that Saddam would assault American forces with chemical or biological weapons. — Edward Kennedy

What we have in the United States is not so much a health-care system as a disease-care system. — Edward Kennedy

If confirmed, Judge [Samuel] Alito could serve on the court for generation or more. And the decisions he will make as justice will have a direct impact on the lives and liberties of our children, our grandchildren, and even our great-grandchildren. — Edward Kennedy

As Justice Sandra Day O'Connor stated, even a state of war is not a blank check for a president to do whatever he wants. — Edward Kennedy

I hope for an America where no president, no public official, no individual will ever be deemed a greater or lesser American because of religious doubt - or religious belief. — Edward Kennedy

Our commitment to this founding principle is especially relevant today. Americans are united as rarely before in compassion and generosity for our fellow citizens whose lives have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, The powerful winds and floodwater of Katrina tore away the mask that has hidden from public view the many Americans who are left out and left behind. — Edward Kennedy

Floating screw - that's what people used to call me. — Edward Kennedy

Do we operate under a system of equal justice under law? Or is there one system for the average citizen and another for the high and mighty? — Edward Kennedy

Thus, the controversy about the Moral Majority arises not only from its views, but from its name - which, in the minds of many, seems to imply that only one set of public policies is moral and only one majority can possibly be right. — Edward Kennedy

For all my years in public life, I have believed that America must sail toward the shores of liberty and justice for all. There is no end to that journey, only the next great voyage. We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make. — Edward Kennedy

I hope for an America where the power of faith will always burn brightly, but where no modern inquisition of any kind will ever light the fires of fear, coercion, or angry division. — Edward Kennedy

The separation of church and state can sometimes be frustrating for women and men of religious faith. They may be tempted to misuse government in order to impose a value which they cannot persuade others to accept. But once we succumb to that temptation, we step onto a slippery slope where everyone's freedom is at risk. — Edward Kennedy

Don't sacrifice your political convictions for the convenience of the hour. — Edward Kennedy

I won't yield to anyone about guns in our society. I know enough about it. — Edward Kennedy

There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein's regime is a serious danger, that he is a tyrant, and that his pursuit of lethal weapons of mass destruction cannot be tolerated. He must be disarmed. — Edward Kennedy

It's disgraceful that year after year, Congress has bowed to the tobacco lobby and refused to act. — Edward Kennedy

Our struggle is not with some monarch named George who inherited the crown. Although it often seems that way. — Edward Kennedy

[W]ords are fine, but it has to be what a generation reads into those words. — Edward Kennedy

As you know so well, the passage of time never really heals the tragic memory of such a great loss, but we carry on, because we have to, because our loved one would want us to, and because there is still light to guide us in the world from the love they gave us. — Edward Kennedy

The Republicans are looking after the financial interests of the wealthiest individuals in this country. — Edward Kennedy

The core values of our constitution are at the heart of our nation's progress. — Edward Kennedy

Shamefully we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management, U.S. management. — Edward Kennedy

Immigration reforms are always controversial. Our Congress was created to muster political will to answer such challenges. Today we didn't, but tomorrow we will. I yield the floor. — Edward Kennedy

From the windows of my office in Boston ... I can see the Golden Stairs from Boston Harbor where all eight of my great-grandparents set foot on this great land for the first time. That immigrant spirit of limitless possibility animates America even today. — Edward Kennedy

We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction. — Edward Kennedy

In the United States Senate, one of the things I observed in the early days - and it's still used - and that is that you take someone's argument and then you misrepresent it and misstate and disagree with it. And it's very effective. I've done it myself a number of times. But eventually, eventually people catch on. — Edward Kennedy

For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die. — Edward Kennedy

It is extraordinary that each of the three individuals this president [ George W. Bush] has nominated for the Supreme Court - Chief Justice [John] Roberts, Harriet Miers and now Judge Alito - has served not only as a lawyer for the executive branch, but has defended the most expansive view of presidential authority. — Edward Kennedy

The Constitution does not just protect those whose views we share; it also protects those with whose views we disagree. — Edward Kennedy

Sometimes a party must sail against the wind. We cannot heed the call of those who say it is time to furl the sail. The party that tore itself apart over Vietnam in the 1960s cannot afford to tear itself apart today over budget cuts in basic social programs. — Edward Kennedy

Immigrant families have integrated themselves into our communities, establishing deep roots. Whenever they have settled, they have made lasting contributions to the economic vitality and diversity of our communities and our nation. Our economy depends on these hard-working, taxpaying workers. They have assisted America in its economic boom. — Edward Kennedy

Historians will come to their own judgments about President Kennedy. Here is how I choose to remember him. He was an heir to wealth who felt the anguish of the poor. He was an orator of excellence who spoke for the voiceless. He was a son of Harvard who reached out to the sons and daughters of Appalachia. He was a man of special grace who had a special care for the retarded and handicapped. He was a hero of war who fought hardest for peace. He said and proved in word and deed that one man can make a difference. — Edward Kennedy

We want to support our troops because they didn't make the decision to go there ... but I don't think it should be open-ended. We ought to have a benchmark where the administration has to come back and give us a report. — Edward Kennedy

I hope for an America where neither "fundamentalist" nor "humanist" will be a dirty word, but a fair description of the different ways in which people of good will look at life and into their own souls. — Edward Kennedy

Will a nominee embrace and uphold the essential meaning of the four words inscribed above the entrance of the Supreme Court building: Equal justice under law? — Edward Kennedy

There was no imminent threat. This was made up in Texas, announced in January to the Republican leadership that war was going to take place and was going to be good politically. This whole thing was a fraud. — Edward Kennedy

Today, we say the only thing we have to fear is four more years of George Bush. — Edward Kennedy

I had the privilege of chairing Judge Samuel Alito confirmation hearing in 1990. And at that time, he had practiced law for 14 years, but only represented one client, the United States government. — Edward Kennedy

My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. — Edward Kennedy

I get up very early in the morning. I enjoy the quietness, the stillness, the rawness in the winter and fall. It's a special time. — Edward Kennedy

Keep your tax-cutting, greedy hands off our medicare — Edward Kennedy

It's better to send in the Peace Corps than the Marine Corps. — Edward Kennedy

What divides us pales in comparison to what unites us. — Edward Kennedy

The more our feelings diverge, the more deeply felt they are, the greater is our obligation to grant the sincerity and essential decency of our fellow citizens on the other side. — Edward Kennedy

I don't think you're going to be a success in anything if you think about losing, whether it's in sports or in politics. — Edward Kennedy

It appears that legal positions that you have supported have been used by the administration, the military, and the CIA to justify torture and Geneva Convention violations by military and civilian personnel. — Edward Kennedy

I hate to see a young man get ahead on the basis of a famous family name. — Edward Kennedy

As a society, we've learned that we're all better off
when everyone is included in the opportunities of this great nation. — Edward Kennedy

The real transgression occurs when religion wants government to tell citizens how to live uniquely personal parts of their lives. The failure of Prohibition proves the futility of such an attempt when a majority or even a substantial minority happens to disagree. Some questions may be inherently individual ones, or people may be sharply divided about whether they are. In such cases, like Prohibition and abortion, the proper role of religion is to appeal to the conscience of the individual, not the coercive power of the state. — Edward Kennedy

The great adventures which our opponents offer is a voyage into the past. Progress is our heritage, not theirs. What is right for us as Democrats is also the right way for Democrats to win. — Edward Kennedy

My colleague Sen. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Republican, erroneously suggested that I support the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to biological evolution. That simply is not true. ... Unlike biological evolution, intelligent design is not a genuine scientific theory and, therefore, has no place in the curriculum of our nation's public school science classes. — Edward Kennedy

We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we made. — Edward Kennedy

Frankly, I don't mind not being President. I just mind that someone else is. — Edward Kennedy

We should strengthen our immigration laws to prevent the importation of foreign wages and working conditions. We should make it illegal for employers to lay off Americans and then fill their jobs by bringing in workers from overseas. Any U.S. employer who wishes to hire from abroad - even for temporary jobs - should have to recruit U.S. workers first. And we should end the unskilled immigration that competes with young Americans just entering the job market. — Edward Kennedy

With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion. With Barack Obama we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay. — Edward Kennedy

We are giving assurance to the American families that help is on its way. — Edward Kennedy

We need the breast and the brightest to- umm the best and the brightest ... — Edward Kennedy

I applaud the fact that the president has reached out to the members of Judiciary Committee. And I applaud. the fact that he has been meeting with members of the Judiciary Committee. He's been seeking out Republicans as well as Democrats. — Edward Kennedy

Supreme Court nominations are an occasion to pause and reflect on the values that make our nation strong, just and fair. And we must determine whether a nominee has a demonstrated commitment to those basic values. — Edward Kennedy

Ultimately, the courts will make the final judgment whether the White House has gone too far. Independent and impartial judges must assess the proper balance between protecting our liberties and protecting our national security. — Edward Kennedy

Were I to make the announcement and to run, the reasons I would run is because I have a great belief in this country [America] ... There's more natural resources than any nation in the world; the greatest education population in the world; the greatest technology of any country in the world; the greatest capacity for innovation in the world; and the greatest political system in the world. — Edward Kennedy

If we set the precedent of limiting the First Amendment, in order to protect the sensibilities of those who are offended by flag burning, what will we say the next time someone is offended by some other minority view, or by some other person's exercise of the freedom the Constitution is supposed to protect? — Edward Kennedy

Legal immigrants play by the rules and come in under the law. They work, raise their families, pay taxes, and serve in the Armed Forces ... Legal immigrants do not seek to cross the border, or overstay their visas. They come here the right way ... And, by and large, they are here as the result of reunifying families ... — Edward Kennedy

A good marriage is loving someone in a lot of different circumstances. Respect for them and their views and ideas and the life that they're leading with you. Shared values and interests. A good sense of humour. And a little volatility along the way. — Edward Kennedy

The Supreme Court must serve as an independent check on abuses by the executive branch and the protector of our liberties, not a cheerleader for an imperial presidency. — Edward Kennedy

The AMA puts the lives and well being of the American citizens well below it's own special interest ... It deserves to be ignored, rejected, and forgotten. No amount of historical gymnastics can hide the public record of AMA opposition to virtually every major health reform in the past 50 years ... The AMA has turned into a propaganda organ purveying 'medical politics' for deceiving the Congress, the people, and the doctors of America themselves. — Edward Kennedy

As we have seen from Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's example, even one justice can profoundly alter the meaning of those words for our citizens. Even one justice can deeply affect the rights and liberties of the American people. — Edward Kennedy

Earlier this week ... scientists announced the completion of a task that once seemed unimaginable; and that is, the deciphering of the entire DNA sequence of the human genetic code. This amazing accomplishment is likely to affect the 21st century as profoundly as the invention of the computer or the splitting of the atom affected the 20th century. I believe that the 21st century will be the century of life sciences, and nothing makes that point more clearly than this momentous discovery. It will revolutionize medicine as we know it today. — Edward Kennedy

People of faith should not invoke the power of the state to decide what everyone can believe or think or read or do. In such cases, like abortion or prayer or prohibition or sexual identity, the proper role of religion is to appeal to the free conscience of each person, not the coercive rule of secular law. — Edward Kennedy

Use every tool in our arsenal to ensure that his nomination is rejected again this year. — Edward Kennedy

Violence is an admission that one's ideas and goals cannot prevail on their own merits. — Edward Kennedy

I think a child calling for his mother is the most beautiful sound in the world. — Edward Kennedy

Democrats may be in the minority in Congress, but we speak for the majority of Americans. — Edward Kennedy

Judges are appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. And it is our duty to ask questions on great issues that matter to the American people and to speak for them. — Edward Kennedy

Justice Lewis Powell spoke for all of us when he said: Equal justice under law is perhaps the most inspiring idea of our society. It is one of the ends for which our entire legal system exists. — Edward Kennedy

We were taught never to give up, never to passively accept fate, but to exhaust every last ounce of will and hope in the face of any challenge. — Edward Kennedy