George J. Mitchell Quotes

I had been involved in U.S. intelligence in Berlin, Germany, while in the military and had worked with a contact with the Central Intelligence Agency office there.

I was born and raised in a small town in Maine, Waterville. I enjoyed living there – still do – and my goal in life was a fairly specific and focused one of practicing law in Maine.

I had a great interest in sports. I had three older brothers who were great athletes. I was not.

I didn’t want to make it a lifetime thing. I don’t believe in statutory term limits, but people can limit themselves if they want to, and that’s what I decided to do.

In every society in human history, including the United States, those in power seek to imbue themselves with the attributes of religion and patriotism as a way of getting greater support for their policy and insulating themselves from any criticism.

I spent two years in the Army. And my older brother, who was also a great positive influence on me, encouraged me to think about law school, and I said – well, I didn’t have any money.

I really owe everything to my parents and their devotion and drive to see to it that their children had the education which led to the opportunities that they never were able to have.

I enjoyed practicing law.

What is good about the United States is the sense that you can disagree with the government and not be seen as unpatriotic, although many in the government will try to make you seem unpatriotic.

I was the United States Attorney for Maine for three years, and then was appointed a federal judge.

First, the American legislative process isn’t well suited to large and complex measures.

My father was the orphaned son of immigrants to the United States from Ireland. My father never knew his parents. His mother died – we’re not sure – either at or shortly after his birth, and he and all of his siblings were placed in orphanages in the Boston area.

As they say, one thing led to another, and, ultimately, the British and Irish governments asked me to serve as chairman of the peace negotiations, which ironically began six years ago this week.

Although he’s regularly asked to do so, God does not take sides in American politics.

The result was, of course, that today, tragically, more than 40 million Americans don’t have health insurance, and for many, not having health insurance means they don’t have access to good health care.