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In 2007, when I was governor of New York, I proposed that our state once again permit undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver's license. To say the proposal lit a firestorm in the political arena is an understatement.

Eliot Spitzer

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Eliot Spitzer
Age: 65
Born: 1959
Born: June 10
Former Governor Of New York
Lawyer
Politician
New York City
New York
The Sheriff of Wall Street
Governors
Undocumented
Political
Understatement
States
License
Proposed
Arena
Lit
Drivers
Proposal
Permit
Governor
Immigrants
Obtain
York
Driver
State

More quotes by Eliot Spitzer

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Delay is the enemy of progress.
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It sucks. I used to be governor of New York.
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Tax rates for the wealthy should revert to Clinton-era levels, both because it is necessary for long-term deficit reduction and because fairness dictates it. Moreover, there is no proof that higher marginal rates dissuade investment, all the rhetoric from the Right notwithstanding.
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Sometimes in politics, you think you've seen it all. Turns out I was wrong.
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In the melting pot that is America, inclusive trumps exclusive. Whether it's single women, young adults, or minorities, alienating the rapidly growing voting blocs is not smart politics.
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Our criminal justice system is fallible. We know it, even though we don't like to admit it. It is fallible despite the best efforts of most within it to do justice. And this fallibility is, at the end of the day, the most compelling, persuasive, and winning argument against a death penalty.
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Mitt Romney's primary season embrace of the social and economic agenda of the more rabid elements of his party doomed him, especially the shrill immigration rhetoric and the harshly insensitive theory that no additional sacrifice or contribution should be sought from those at the top.
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I think President Obama could have handled politics and policies differently. But he has been decisive, strong, and consistent - important qualities in a president. Mitt Romney is indeed an Etch A Sketch, the antithesis of leadership.
Eliot Spitzer
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Don't reward bad behavior. It is one of the first rules of parenting. During the financial cataclysm of 2008, we said it differently. When we bailed out banks that had created their own misfortune, we called it a 'moral hazard,' because the bailout absolved the bank's bad acts and created an incentive for it to make the same bad loans again.
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The Republican argument that raising the debt ceiling encourages additional future spending is logically irresponsible. The debt ceiling has to be raised to authorize spending already approved by Congress. Despite that fallacy, the GOP has been able to score political points with its argument.
Eliot Spitzer
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I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself.
Eliot Spitzer
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In politics you learn to always smile.
Eliot Spitzer
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Once again, the puppets on Capitol Hill are about to slam the Muppets on Main Street. The country still hasn't recovered from the Wall Street-induced financial cataclysm of 2008, yet Congress is preparing to enact the Orwellian 'JOBS Act' - a bill that should in fact be called the 'Return Fraud to Wall Street in One Easy Step Act.'
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Power must be used, but it must be tempered by soul-searching and the recognition of our human capacity for error. That is the maxim that should inform our approach to every challenge, from reforming state government to engaging in foreign affairs.
Eliot Spitzer
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To every New Yorker - and to all those who believed in what I tried to stand for - I sincerely apologize.
Eliot Spitzer
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The pace of global warming is accelerating and the scale of the impact is devastating. The time for action is limited - we are approaching a tipping point beyond which the opportunity to reverse the damage of CO2 emissions will disappear.
Eliot Spitzer
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While their fiscal views aren't mine, the moderates are the last reasonable voice in the current Republican Party.
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After 25-plus years as a lawyer, prosecutor, and defense attorney, I have developed a deep appreciation for both the wisdom of the law and the role that jurists play in framing the rights and responsibilities that define our society.
Eliot Spitzer
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Global warming threatens our health, our economy, our natural resources, and our children's future. It is clear we must act.
Eliot Spitzer
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I don't think Michael Bloomberg would say that his greatest skill is delivering the speech. He would say he's more of a nuts-and-bolts mayor-picking up the trash, dealing with the school system.
Eliot Spitzer