Arlen Specter

We don't need holy wars. What we need is tolerance and brotherhood and simple humanity.

I think my independence was a big help to getting Judges Roberts and Alito confirmed, and I think that's recognized.

As I think through the issue of funding the rebuilding of Iraq, I think about the analogy of a bankruptcy proceeding. There is no doubt that Iraq as a country is bankrupt.

I ran for president in 1996.

When the students are occupied, they're not juvenile delinquents. I believe that education is a capital investment.

When I'm asked about legacy, I say it's too early to talk about legacy.

African-Americans are underrepresented.

There is no higher value in our society than integrity.

Pennsylvania is a very tough state; people don't last long in Pennsylvania politics.

The American people do not care which Party solves the problems confronting our nation.

The best way to reduce the cost of medical care is to reduce the illness.

I think it's scandalous that we haven't done more to cure cancer.

I'm ordinarily pretty correct in what I say.

When Pat Robertson says there is no constitutional doctrine of separation of church and state, I say he is wrong.

Look, the president can discharge all 93 U.S. attorneys for no reason at all, but not for a bad reason.

Separation of power says the judiciary committee is supposed to confirm qualified judges and then what the Supreme Court does, that is their function, not my function.

We dont need holy wars. What we need is tolerance and brotherhood and simple humanity.

There's nothing in the First Amendment that even remotely talks about spending money for political contests, and to say that an individual can spend as much of his or her own money as he or she wants constitutionally without any limitation, I think is just absurd.

As the Republican Party has moved farther and farther to the right, I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more in line with the philosophy of the Democratic Party.

The essence of a democracy is a free electorate.

American credibility in the war on terrorism depends on a strong stand against all terrorist acts, whether committed by foe or friend.

I'm battling cancer. It's another battle I intend to win.

I think if you can get people to laugh, you can get people to listen.

My mother, Lillie Specter, was an angel and totally uninterested in politics.

Fundraising is very, very time-consuming.

I beat a brain tumor.

My father was an immigrant who literally walked across Europe to get out of Russia. He fought in World War I. He was wounded in action. My father was a great success even though he never had money. He was a very determined man, a great role model.

Heart disease continues to be the number one killer; cancer, the number 2 killer, not far behind. The tragic aspect of these deadly diseases is that they could all be cured, I do believe, if we had sufficient funding.

The extremists took over the primary process.

Lawyers advocate more so than state their own positions.

I don't like labels. I think they conceal more than they reveal, sort of like a bikini.

I am very much opposed to abortion personally. But I don't think it is the government's rule.

My definition of winning at squash is playing and surviving, and I've never lost a match.

I am opposed to anybody making a decision for you or me or anybody else about what health care plan we should have.

I've been playing squash almost daily for 38 years.

People in government and public life are being kicked around at a high rate of speed.

It's inspirational to see someone who is dying smile.

There's a great public disinclination toward politicians.

The fundamental purpose of government is to protect its citizens.

I knew people were going to see me see deteriorate before their eyes.

I just was not going to subject my record to the bleak prospects of a primary election.

It costs about $27 million to win a seat in the United States Senate, so when you win one, you like to sit down.

It is with unwelcome frequency that I find myself the deciding vote.

There are conspiracies all over the Senate floor on any day!

There is no doubt that our nation's security and defeating terrorism trump all other priorities.

My tenure in the Senate was really as an independent and whichever, regardless of party label.

The First Amendment freedom of religion is as important today as when the Bill of Rights was first written.

Beating the tea party gang is more important than who does the beating.

I've made a career of being precise.

I really do not make deals.

If you are going to have to play defense all the time, you cannot have the kind of ingenuity, assertiveness, independence, and intelligence which is what has made our country strong.

As a matter of traditional and sound constitutional doctrine, an amendment to the Constitution should be the last resort when all other measures have proved inadequate.

It's been a great privilege to serve the people of Pennsylvania.

Voting is fundamental in our democracy. It has yielded enormous returns.

It so happens that I'm pro choice.

Americans' addiction to sports, with the NFL at the top, is based on the excitement generated by the potential for the unexpected great play which can only happen with honest competition from great athletes.

We are not utilizing the Iraqi oil for U.S. purposes. We are not asking that the Iraqi oil be used to pay our military expenses. We are asking only that the Iraqi oil be used to rebuild Iraq - that is, to rebuild Iraq for the Iraqi people.

I do not represent the Republican Party.

Stability means respecting precedents.

I've been in a lot of elections.

Whatever my party affiliation, I will continue to be guided by President Kennedy's statement that sometimes party asks too much.

American credibility in the war on terrorism depends on a strong stand against all terrorist acts whether committed by foe or friend.

I don't expect people to agree with all my votes.

The solicitor general is sometimes referred to as the 10th Supreme Court justice - a pretty important position.

You know, a statesman is a dead politician.

There's nothing more important than our good health - that's our principal capital asset.

If we had pursued what President Nixon declared in 1970 as the war on cancer, we would have cured many strains. I think Jack Kemp would be alive today. And that research has saved or prolonged many lives, including mine.

I have been a Republican since 1966.

The Supreme Court has a very light backlog. They leave a lot of splits among the circuits, a lot of uncertainty. And I think they ought to work a lot harder.

I must say I am not pleased to have to arrange the Senate schedule around the availability of Senators who are running for President.

When the 14th Amendment, equal protection clause was enacted, the galleries in the Senate were segregated. Now we have integration.

'Never give in' was my mindset.

Cannibals are devouring senators.

Effective security measures do not come cheap.

In our social contract, we have provisions that see to it that you take care of people who need some help.

Well, I believe that when you are confirming a United States Supreme Court Justice, that it really isn't Democratic or Republican; it's American.

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party.