You can't always say what's popular and you ought to go with it. I think that's why the founders were concerned about direct democracy. That's why we have a republic and that's why we have representatives who who are supposed to look at the issues and to look out for the next generation as well.

Jeff Flake

Categorized in : Thinking Democracy Founders

There are some Republicans who say that any time you raise new revenue, you have to have a tax cut to match it. I am not one of those Republicans.

taxes republican cutting

This isn't all going to be done in one day, either. by Jeff Flake

This isn't all going to be done in one day, either.

immigration one-day done

Many of the earmark request forms are actually filled out by lobbyists and then just turned in by the member's staff to the appropriations committee.

lobbyists filled-out staff

These are people who wanted to provide for their family and wanted a better life. We've got to have a secure border. But we've also, we've got to act compassionately and recognize labor markets as well. ... I've never thought that it's [path to citizenship] a bad thing. If somebody is going to be here for 20, 30 years, to give them some skin in the game, if you will, to hold out the prospect of citizenship.

games people years

Just when you think [Donald Trump] can stoop no lower, he does. by Jeff Flake

Just when you think [Donald Trump] can stoop no lower, he does.

trump doe thinking

This Congress is out of control and in desperate need of adult su... by Jeff Flake

This Congress is out of control and in desperate need of adult supervision.

adults political needs

The country is facing a fiscal crisis, and the United States Senate is at the center of the debate about how to bring federal spending under control.

debate united-states country

I'm also particularly pleased that there is bipartisan support to include the input of border communities. Not only will security be strengthened according to Washington, D.C., but border communities will have a say as well.

immigration support community

Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced as telling it like it is when it is actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified. And when such behavior emanates from the top of our government, it is something else. It is dangerous to a democracy.

reckless democracy behavior

Unfortunately there are too many examples of members of Congress and other elected officials using language, referring to your opponents in ways that you would have never done before, ascribing the worst motives to your opponents, and assuming that other Americans are the enemies. And that's just not the way it used to be. And I don't think it can be that way in the future.

done enemy thinking

American leadership looks to the world and just as Lincoln did sees the family of man. Humanity is not a zero-sum game.

humanity men world

I rise today with no small measure of regret, regret because of the state of our disunion, regret because of the disrepair and destructiveness of our politics, regret because of the indecency of our discourse.

regret today

The impulse to scapegoat and belittle threatens to turn us into a fearful, backward-looking people. In the case of the Republican Party, those things also threaten to turn us into a fearful, backward-looking minority party.

republican party people

After September 11, it became unpatriotic to question any homeland-security or defense spending, and that let things get out of control.

spending september-11 defense

For one, I think as a missionary you gotta be stubborn. And you g... by Jeff Flake

For one, I think as a missionary you gotta be stubborn. And you gotta try to be persuasive.

missionary trying thinking

Certainly the policy is right and good politics usually follow go... by Jeff Flake

Certainly the policy is right and good politics usually follow good policy.

policy politics

When a leader correctly identifies real hurt and insecurity in our country and instead of addressing it, goes looking for somebody to blame, there is perhaps nothing more devastating to a pluralistic society.

real hurt country

I think the Respublican party's lost its way. We have given into nativism and protectionism. And I think that, if we're going to be a governing party in the future, and a majority party, we have got to go back to traditional conservatism, limited government, economic freedom, individual responsibility, respect for free trade. Those are the principles that made us who we are.

party responsibility thinking

I do think that the Republican Party is in a crisis right now, a crisis of confidence about who we are.

republican party thinking

Enhancing long term national security requires that we have a clear-eyed view of radical Islamic terrorism without ascribing radical Islamic terrorist views to all Muslims.

islamic views long