“[How far should the United States go in forcing Mohammed to give up vital information?] We do not sanction torture, but there are psychological and other means that can accomplish most of what we want, ... Getting that information will save American lives. We have no business not getting that information.”
“I won't believe it until I see it. I don't think it's in their interest to give us those documents, because I think it's going to show some things that are very troublesome to the American people.”
“While we transferred sovereignty today, we need to be honest with the American people that this struggle is far from over, ... Security in Iraq is worse now than it was right after the fall of Baghdad and may deteriorate further. The Iraqi security forces cannot handle the challenge alone, reconstruction has barely started, and massive unemployment has left many frustrated and even desperate.”
“I think the fact that all of the lines aren't crossed and every decision isn't made about what powers the [director of national intelligence] has is an advantage for the [director] because a vacuum invites power. I think it is much more important that the [director] be able to come in, he or she, in order to fill that out according to their own instincts,”
“If we had prescribed in Congress each of the relationships between the agencies, I think that would have been an enormous mistake and would have rendered this person more useless. This person can exercise power, and I think that's good.”
“Two months have now passed since the bill signing ceremony and the position of director of national intelligence remains vacant, not even a person nominated. To me, this is unacceptable.”
“There are those of us on the Senate side who really do suspect, not politically but genuinely, that this is an effort -- the beginning of an effort and very obviously a huge beginning -- to gradually phase out Medicare as a public expense,”
