House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited me to breakfast on the…
““House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited me to breakfast on the eighteenth. Five days before, she had issued a news release saying, “The president’s strategy in Iraq has failed,” and “The choice is between a Democratic plan for responsible redeployment and the president’s plan for an endless war in Iraq.” With those comments as backdrop, at the breakfast I urged her to pass the defense appropriations bill before October and to pass the War Supplemental in total, not to mete it out a few weeks or months at a time. I reminded her that the president had approved Petraeus’s recommendation for a change of mission in December and told her that Petraeus and Crocker had recommended a sustainable path forward that deserved broad bipartisan support. She politely made clear she wasn’t interested. I wasn’t surprised. After all, one wouldn’t want facts and reality—not to mention the national interest—to intrude upon partisan politics, would one?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Political leaders often prioritize partisan goals over factual realities, hindering effective policy decisions.
In simple terms: Partisanship blocks practical solutions.
Key Takeaway
Seek bipartisan cooperation on national security.
Themes
politics
war
policy
partisanship
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- Congressional hearings
- policy negotiations
- public briefings
- media statements
Key Concepts
National security
legislative process
Questions to Reflect On
- What incentives could reduce partisan resistance?
- How can citizens hold leaders accountable for fact‑based decisions?
A Different Perspective
Political realities may limit willingness to act on evidence.