LEST WE FORGET
Below are a list of quotes from various politicians, activists and the like, lest we forget their past positions and comments on the more pressing issues of the day. Each quote is linked to a story in which it appeared.
Below are a list of quotes from various politicians, activists and the like, lest we forget their past positions and comments on the more pressing issues of the day. Each quote is linked to a story in which it appeared.
ABORTION
Barack Obama: "I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD [sexually transmitted disease] at the age of 16. You know, so it doesn't make sense to not give them information." March 31, 2008
Barack Obama: “… whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question [when does life begin] with specificity … is above my pay grade.” September 06, 2008
Joe Biden: "I’m prepared to accept as a matter of faith - my wife and I, my family, that at the moment of conception there's human life and being. But what I'm not prepared to do is to impose a rigid or precise view on the issue that is born out of my faith, on other people who are equally God-fearing, equally as committed to life, but support abortion-on-demand. I don't want to start a theological discussion. I’ll get in trouble. It's above my pay grade."
September 20, 2015
Nancy Pelosi: “I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctrines of the church have not been able to make that definition. … St. Augustine said at three months. We don’t know. The point is, is that it shouldn’t have an impact on a woman’s right to choose. I don’t think anybody can tell you when life begins, human life begins.” August 26, 2008
Nancy Pelosi: "I come from a very strong Italian Catholic family and many of my friends and family members do not share my view. But it is my view that it is up to a woman to have her own right to choose the size and timing of her family. God gives us a free will and holds us responsible and accountable for our actions.” June 22, 2017
Hillary Clinton: "Roe v. Wade very clearly sets out that there can be regulations on abortion so long as the life and the health of the mother are taken into account. The kinds of cases that fall at the end of pregnancy are often the most heartbreaking, painful decisions for families to make. I have met with women who toward the end of their pregnancy get the worst news one could get: that their health is in jeopardy if they continue to carry to term or that something terrible has just been discovered about the pregnancy. I do not think the United States government should be stepping in and making those most personal of decisions. So you can regulate if you are doing so with the life and the health of the mother taken into account."
October 18, 2016
Cecile Richards (President, Planned Parenthood): “The House will vote on an unconstitutional 20-week abortion ban. This ban would put barriers to care in front of rape survivors & eliminate health care options when they’re needed most. Put simply a 20-week abortion ban lacks compassion & it lacks respect.” May 13, 2015
Nancy Pelosi: “I think defunding Planned Parenthood disrespects every woman in this country, disrespects her judgment to make her own decision about the size and timing of her family, with herself, her doctor, her god, her family. And so, I think we have to respect the dignity and worth of every person and their ability to make decisions to answer for their behavior.” June 28, 2017
Barack Obama: "I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD [sexually transmitted disease] at the age of 16. You know, so it doesn't make sense to not give them information." March 31, 2008
Barack Obama: “… whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question [when does life begin] with specificity … is above my pay grade.” September 06, 2008
Joe Biden: "I’m prepared to accept as a matter of faith - my wife and I, my family, that at the moment of conception there's human life and being. But what I'm not prepared to do is to impose a rigid or precise view on the issue that is born out of my faith, on other people who are equally God-fearing, equally as committed to life, but support abortion-on-demand. I don't want to start a theological discussion. I’ll get in trouble. It's above my pay grade."
September 20, 2015
Nancy Pelosi: “I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctrines of the church have not been able to make that definition. … St. Augustine said at three months. We don’t know. The point is, is that it shouldn’t have an impact on a woman’s right to choose. I don’t think anybody can tell you when life begins, human life begins.” August 26, 2008
Nancy Pelosi: "I come from a very strong Italian Catholic family and many of my friends and family members do not share my view. But it is my view that it is up to a woman to have her own right to choose the size and timing of her family. God gives us a free will and holds us responsible and accountable for our actions.” June 22, 2017
Hillary Clinton: "Roe v. Wade very clearly sets out that there can be regulations on abortion so long as the life and the health of the mother are taken into account. The kinds of cases that fall at the end of pregnancy are often the most heartbreaking, painful decisions for families to make. I have met with women who toward the end of their pregnancy get the worst news one could get: that their health is in jeopardy if they continue to carry to term or that something terrible has just been discovered about the pregnancy. I do not think the United States government should be stepping in and making those most personal of decisions. So you can regulate if you are doing so with the life and the health of the mother taken into account."
October 18, 2016
Cecile Richards (President, Planned Parenthood): “The House will vote on an unconstitutional 20-week abortion ban. This ban would put barriers to care in front of rape survivors & eliminate health care options when they’re needed most. Put simply a 20-week abortion ban lacks compassion & it lacks respect.” May 13, 2015
Nancy Pelosi: “I think defunding Planned Parenthood disrespects every woman in this country, disrespects her judgment to make her own decision about the size and timing of her family, with herself, her doctor, her god, her family. And so, I think we have to respect the dignity and worth of every person and their ability to make decisions to answer for their behavior.” June 28, 2017
HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE
Hillary Clinton (January 2000): "Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been, between a man and a woman." January 2000
Hillary Clinton (March 2013): "LGBT Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones. And they are full and equal citizens, and they deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes marriage. That’s why I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples. I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law, embedded in a broader effort to advance equality and opportunity for LGBT Americans and all Americans." March 18, 2013
Barack Obama (November 2008): "I think it's unnecessary [Proposition 8]. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that's not what America's about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don't contract them." November 01, 2008
Barack Obama (May 2012): "I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married." May 09, 2012
Hillary Clinton (January 2000): "Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been, between a man and a woman." January 2000
Hillary Clinton (March 2013): "LGBT Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones. And they are full and equal citizens, and they deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes marriage. That’s why I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples. I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law, embedded in a broader effort to advance equality and opportunity for LGBT Americans and all Americans." March 18, 2013
Barack Obama (November 2008): "I think it's unnecessary [Proposition 8]. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that's not what America's about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don't contract them." November 01, 2008
Barack Obama (May 2012): "I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married." May 09, 2012
CHRISTIANITY
Nancy Pelosi: "They ask me all the time, 'What is your favorite this? What is your favorite that? What is your favorite that? What is your favorite word?' And I said, 'My favorite word? That is really easy. My favorite word is the Word, is the Word. And that is everything. It says it all for us. And you know the biblical reference; you know the Gospel reference of the Word. And that Word is, we have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy that would be in keeping with the values of the Word. The Word. Isn't it a beautiful word when you think of it? It just covers everything. The Word. Fill it in with anything you want. But, of course, we know it means: 'The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us.' And that's the great mystery of our faith. He will come again. He will come again. So, we have to make sure we're prepared to answer in this life, or otherwise, as to how we have measured up." May 06, 2010
Hillary Clinton: "I am a person of faith. I am a Christian. I am a Methodist. My study of the Bible … has led me to believe the most important commandment is to love the Lord with all your might and to love your neighbor as yourself, and that is what I think we are commanded by Christ to do. And there is so much more in the Bible about taking care of the poor, visiting the prisoners, taking in the stranger, creating opportunities for others to be lifted up … I think there are many different ways of exercising your faith.” May 06, 2016
Barack Obama: "I am a Christian. So, I have a deep faith. So I draw from the Christian faith. On the other hand, I was born in Hawaii where obviously there are a lot of Eastern influences. I lived in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, between the ages of six and 10. My father was from Kenya, and although he was probably most accurately labeled an agnostic, his father was Muslim. And I’d say, probably, intellectually I’ve drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith. So, I’m rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people." March 27, 2004
Nancy Pelosi: "They ask me all the time, 'What is your favorite this? What is your favorite that? What is your favorite that? What is your favorite word?' And I said, 'My favorite word? That is really easy. My favorite word is the Word, is the Word. And that is everything. It says it all for us. And you know the biblical reference; you know the Gospel reference of the Word. And that Word is, we have to give voice to what that means in terms of public policy that would be in keeping with the values of the Word. The Word. Isn't it a beautiful word when you think of it? It just covers everything. The Word. Fill it in with anything you want. But, of course, we know it means: 'The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us.' And that's the great mystery of our faith. He will come again. He will come again. So, we have to make sure we're prepared to answer in this life, or otherwise, as to how we have measured up." May 06, 2010
Hillary Clinton: "I am a person of faith. I am a Christian. I am a Methodist. My study of the Bible … has led me to believe the most important commandment is to love the Lord with all your might and to love your neighbor as yourself, and that is what I think we are commanded by Christ to do. And there is so much more in the Bible about taking care of the poor, visiting the prisoners, taking in the stranger, creating opportunities for others to be lifted up … I think there are many different ways of exercising your faith.” May 06, 2016
Barack Obama: "I am a Christian. So, I have a deep faith. So I draw from the Christian faith. On the other hand, I was born in Hawaii where obviously there are a lot of Eastern influences. I lived in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world, between the ages of six and 10. My father was from Kenya, and although he was probably most accurately labeled an agnostic, his father was Muslim. And I’d say, probably, intellectually I’ve drawn as much from Judaism as any other faith. So, I’m rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people." March 27, 2004
THE CONSTITUTION
Barack Obama: "...the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and of more basic issues such as political and economic justice in society. To that extent, as radical as I think people try to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn't that radical. It didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution, at least as it's been interpreted, and the Warren Court interpreted in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can't do to you. Says what the federal government can't do to you, but doesn't say what the federal government or state government must do on your behalf." September 06, 2001
Hillary Clinton: "If it [right to bear arms] is a constitutional right, then it, like every other constitutional right, is subject to reasonable regulation. And what people have done with that (Heller) decision is to take it as far as they possibly can and reject what has been our history from the very beginning of the republic, where some of the earliest laws that were passed were about firearms." June 05, 2016
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-New York): "The Second Amendment only protects the people who want all the guns they can have. The rest of us, we've got no Second Amendment. What are we suppose to do?" March 12, 2013
Barack Obama: "...the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and of more basic issues such as political and economic justice in society. To that extent, as radical as I think people try to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn't that radical. It didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution, at least as it's been interpreted, and the Warren Court interpreted in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can't do to you. Says what the federal government can't do to you, but doesn't say what the federal government or state government must do on your behalf." September 06, 2001
Hillary Clinton: "If it [right to bear arms] is a constitutional right, then it, like every other constitutional right, is subject to reasonable regulation. And what people have done with that (Heller) decision is to take it as far as they possibly can and reject what has been our history from the very beginning of the republic, where some of the earliest laws that were passed were about firearms." June 05, 2016
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-New York): "The Second Amendment only protects the people who want all the guns they can have. The rest of us, we've got no Second Amendment. What are we suppose to do?" March 12, 2013
ECONOMY
Barack Obama: "And my suggestion, I guess, would be that the trick — and this is one of the few areas I think that there are technical issues that need to be dealt with as opposed to just political issues — I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources, and hence facilitate some redistribution, because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level, to make sure that everybody's got a shot." October 19, 1998
Nancy Pelosi: "Economists agree that unemployment benefits remain one of the best ways to grow the economy in a very immediate way. It immediately injects demand into our markets and increases employment. For every dollar spent on unemployment benefits, the economy grows by, according to one estimate, $1.52; by others, $2. So somewhere in that range, but much more than is spent on it." December 05, 2013
Bernie Sanders: "...by the way, almost everything he [FDR] proposed was called 'socialist.' Social Security, which transformed life for the elderly in this country was 'socialist.' The concept of the 'minimum wage' was seen as a radical intrusion into the marketplace and was described as 'socialist.' Unemployment insurance, abolishing child labor, the 40-hour work week, collective bargaining, strong banking regulations, deposit insurance, and job programs that put millions of people to work were all described, in one way or another, as 'socialist.' Yet, these programs have become the fabric of our nation and the foundation of the middle class." November 18, 2015
Barack Obama: "And my suggestion, I guess, would be that the trick — and this is one of the few areas I think that there are technical issues that need to be dealt with as opposed to just political issues — I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources, and hence facilitate some redistribution, because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level, to make sure that everybody's got a shot." October 19, 1998
Nancy Pelosi: "Economists agree that unemployment benefits remain one of the best ways to grow the economy in a very immediate way. It immediately injects demand into our markets and increases employment. For every dollar spent on unemployment benefits, the economy grows by, according to one estimate, $1.52; by others, $2. So somewhere in that range, but much more than is spent on it." December 05, 2013
Bernie Sanders: "...by the way, almost everything he [FDR] proposed was called 'socialist.' Social Security, which transformed life for the elderly in this country was 'socialist.' The concept of the 'minimum wage' was seen as a radical intrusion into the marketplace and was described as 'socialist.' Unemployment insurance, abolishing child labor, the 40-hour work week, collective bargaining, strong banking regulations, deposit insurance, and job programs that put millions of people to work were all described, in one way or another, as 'socialist.' Yet, these programs have become the fabric of our nation and the foundation of the middle class." November 18, 2015