"Mr. Republican" Robert A. Taft, on the Role of the Opposition in Times of War

More great quotes from the Patterson book:

Two weeks after Pearl Harbor (page 255): "Criticism in time of war is essential to the maintenance of any kind of democratic government."

In response to a "moratorium" on politics during the war (ibid.): "To stifle criticism of the administration is very bad, because I see no other way in which the conduct of the war may be improved, and if it isn't improved, I don't know what may happen."