Quotes from George Mitchell

There were no aisles, so to get to the empty cot I had to climb over other senators. The first was Ted Kennedy. He was a big man, and at that moment he looked to me like Mount Everest.

In order to understand what another person is saying, you must assume it is true and try to imagine what it might be true of.

God does not take sides in American politics, and in America disagreement with the policies of the government is not evidence of lack of patriotism.

to be an American, a citizen of what I believe to be, despite its many serious imperfections, the most open, the most free, the most just society in all of human history. In America no one should be guaranteed success, but everyone should have a fair chance to succeed.

I had been shocked by the findings of the polls, and several newspaper reports, that a large number of voters didn't know who I was.

It may be a sad commentary, but it is a fact that many people equate political campaigns with television advertising. If you're on the air, you're campaigning; if you're not on the air, you're nowhere. Just days after the first ad appeared, several people I encountered commented on it.

If you want people to work hard and succeed, there are times when you've got to let them find their own way. Overmanaging is a constant danger.

When I returned to Washington in January 1983, I felt that I should not try to spend the rest of my working life in the Senate. I didn't know exactly when, but I knew that at some point I would term-limit myself. I would leave while the people of Maine wanted me to stay rather than wait until they asked me to leave.

As Reagan gingerly sipped from the steaming mug he explained that for years he'd sipped on very hot water before major appearances because it relaxed his throat and lowered his voice a couple of octaves. "Frank Sinatra told me about it. He swore that it helped him get through many long performances.

Mainers is the name for those who choose to live in Maine, whether born there or elsewhere. Mainiacs is the name for those who are born in Maine but choose to live elsewhere.