David Boaz on Politics

“The fundamental class division in any society is not between rich and poor, or between farmers and city dwellers, but between tax payers and tax consumers”

-- David Boaz, American author.
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Trygve Lie on Politics

"A real diplomat is one who can cut his neighbor's throat without having his neighbor notice it."

-- Trygve Lie, Norwegian politician.
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Johnny Isakson on Politics

"You know they say the most dangerous person in the world is a member of the United States Congress just home from a three-day fact-finding trip."

-- Johnny Isakson, United States Senator.
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Woodrow Wilson on Politics

"Politics I conceive to be nothing more than the science of the ordered progress of society along the lines of greatest usefulness and convenience to itself."

-- Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States.
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Harry Shearer on Politics

"Democrats always like to brag that their guys are smarter than the opponents and Republicans always like to brag that their guys are more moral than the opponents. But if you're looking for morals in politics you're looking for bananas in the cheese department."

-- Harry Shearer, American entertainer.
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Mao Zedong on Politics

"War can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun."

-- Mao Zedong, Leader of the Communist Party of China.
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William Blum on Politics

"Propaganda is to a democracy what violence is to a dictatorship."

-- William Blum, American author.
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William F. Buckley, Jr. on Politics

"I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University."

-- William F. Buckley, Jr., American author.
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U.S. Peace and Freedom Party

"We are united in our common commitment to socialism, democracy, feminism and unionism and our common opposition to capitalism, imperialism, racism, sexism and elitism."

-- U.S. Peace and Freedom Party.
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Tom Tancredo on Politics

"The Democratic Party looks at massive immigration, legal and illegal, as a source of voters. The Republican Party looks at massive immigration, legal and illegal, as a source of cheap labor, satisfying a very important constituency."

-- Tom Tancredo, United States Conrgressman.
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Aristotle on Politics

"Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal."

-- Aristotle, philosopher.
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U.S. Working Families Party

"We fight to hold politicians accountable on the issues working- and middle-class families care about, like good jobs, fair taxes, good schools, reliable public transportation, affordable housing, and universal healthcare."

-- U.S. Working Families Party.
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Joseph Stalin on Politics

"When we hang the capitalists they will sell us the rope we use."

-- Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of USSR Communist Party.
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Dick Murphy on Politics

"I'm convinced that unless you have some public financing of elections, you are never going to remove the power of wealthy interests over elected officials."

-- Dick Murphy, Mayor of San Diego.
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John Selden on Politics

"The world cannot be governed without juggling."

-- John Selden, English jurist.
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Donna Brazile on Politics

"If you're not out front defining your vision, your opponent will spend gobs of money to define it for you."

-- Donna Brazile, American political activist.
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George Washington on Politics

"The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments."

-- George Washington, President of the United States.
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Thomas Sowell on Politics

"One of the most pervasive political visions of our time is the vision of liberals as compassionate and conservatives as less caring."

-- Thomas Sowell, American author.
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Edward Koch on Politics

"If you don't like the President, it costs you 90 bucks to fly to Washington to picket. If you don't like the Governor, it costs you 60 bucks to fly to Albany to picket. If you don't like me, 90 cents."

-- Edward Koch, Mayor of New York City.
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Joseph Sobran on Politics

"Politics is the conspiracy of the unproductive but organized against the productive but unorganized."

-- Joseph Sobran, American author.
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R. A. Butler on Politics

"In politics you must always keep running with the pack. The moment that you falter and they sense that you are injured, the rest will turn on you like wolves."

-- R. A. Butler, British politician.
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Thomas P. O'Neill on Politics

"It's easier to run for office than to run the office."

-- Thomas P. O'Neill, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
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L. Neil Smith on Politics

"I'll remind you all, however, that for government, existence is a privilege, not a right."

-- L. Neil Smith, American author.
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Robert Bork on Politics

"A society deadened by a smothering network of laws while finding release in moral chaos is not likely to be either happy or stable."

-- Robert Bork, United States Court of Appeals.
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Bob Black on Politics

"Liberals say we should end employment discrimination. I say we should end employment."

-- Bob Black, American anarchist.
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Martin Van Buren on Politics

"As to the presidency, the two happiest days of my life were those of my entrance upon the office and my surrender of it."

-- Martin Van Buren, President of the United States.
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Hannah Arendt on Politics

"The chief qualification of a mass leader has become unending infallibility; he can never admit an error."

-- Hannah Arendt, German-Jewish political theorist.
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Maurice Barres on Politics

"The politician is an acrobat. He keeps his balance by saying the opposite of what he does."

-- Maurice Barres, French politician.
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Harry Reid on Politics

"It's time that America's government lived by the same values as America's families. It's time we invested in America's future and made sure our people have the skills to compete and thrive in a 21st century economy. That's what Democrats believe."

-- Harry Reid, United States Senator.
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Shirley Chisholm on Politics

"There is little place in the political scheme of things for an independent, creative personality, for a fighter. Anyone who takes that role must pay a price."

-- Shirley Chisholm, United States Congresswoman.
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Winston Churchill on Politics

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.

-- Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
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Gary Hart on Politics

"If you want the government off your back, get your hands out of its pockets."

-- Gary Hart, United States Senator.
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Friedrich Engels on Politics

"The state is nothing but an instrument of oppression of one class by another - no less so in a democratic republic than in a monarchy."

-- Friedrich Engels, philosopher.
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Richard J. Codey on Politics

"I want to be an advocate for the people who don't have time to read the newspaper... or the money to make a political contribution."

-- Richard J. Codey, Governor of New Jersey.
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Harry Browne on Politics

"You can't give the government the power to do good without also giving it the power to do bad - in fact, to do anything it wants."

-- Harry Browne, American author.
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Charles Kennedy on Politics

"There are hard choices to be made in balancing the country's security and an individual's liberties. But it is a choice that has to be faced."

-- Charles Kennedy, Scottish politician.
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William F. Buckley, Jr. on Politics

"Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive."

-- William F. Buckley, Jr., American author.
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Charles de Gaulle on Politics

"I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians."

-- Charles de Gaulle, French statesman."
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John F. Kennedy on Politics

"Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm."

-- John F. Kennedy, President of the United States.
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Claiborne Pell on Politics

"In politics, you must let the other person have your way."

-- Claiborne Pell, United States Senator.
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Robert Kennedy

"One-fifth of the people are against everything all the time."

-- Robert Kennedy, United States Senator.
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James A. Garfield on Politics

"The President is the last person in the world to know what the people really want and think.

-- James A. Garfield, President of the United States.
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Ted Stevens on Politics

"I am guilty of asking the Senate for pork and proud of the Senate for giving it to me."

-- Ted Stevens, United States Senator.
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Dennis Miller on Politics

"Washington, D.C. is to lying what Wisconsin is to cheese."

-- Dennis Miller, American entertainer.
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Sam Rayburn on Politics

"When you get too big a majority, you're immediately in trouble."

-- Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
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Aneurin Bevan on Politics

"I have never regarded politics as the arena of morals. It is the arena of interest."

-- Aneurin Bevan, Welsh politician.
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Hegel on Politics

"Once the state has been founded, there can no longer be any heroes. They come on the scene only in uncivilized conditions."

-- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German philosopher.
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Ayaan Hirsi Ali on Politics

"They decided to let immigrants in and I am an immigrant. They gave us a chance to participate in this country's life and I took it."

-- Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Dutch politician.
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Roy Jenkins on Politics

"The great disadvantage of our present electoral system is that it freezes the pattern of politics, and holds together the incompatible because everyone assumes that if a party splits it will be electorally slaughtered."

-- Roy Jenkins, British politician.
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Barbara Boxer on Politics

"I think Democrats are right. We fight for the American dream, for the environment, for privacy rights, a woman's right to choose, a good public education system."

-- Barbara Boxer, United States Senator.
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George Savile on Politics

"When the people contend for their liberty, they seldom get anything by their victory but new masters."

-- George Savile, English statesman.
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Charles de Gaulle on Politics

"In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant."

-- Charles de Gaulle, French statesman.
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Sargent Shriver on Politics

"Does politics have to be injected into everything?"

-- Sargent Shriver, American politician.
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Leon Trotsky on Politics

"The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end."

-- Leon Trotsky, Marxist revolutionary.
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American Moderate Party

"A party that represents the sentiments of the majority of the voters of this great nation. A party that believes in truth, honesty and integrity. A party that believes the citizens of this country deserve and demand the highest standards from the individuals seeking to be their government representatives."

-- American Moderate Party.
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Ted Kulongoski on Politics

"Elections are about choosing sides, but inaugurations are about closing ranks."

-- Ted Kulongoski, Governor of Oregon.
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Phil Crane on Politics

"I certainly respect privacy and privacy rights. But on the other hand, the first function of government is to guarantee the security of all the people."

-- Phil Crane, United States congressman.
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Kenneth Baker on Politics

"Socialists make the mistake of confusing individual worth with success. They believe you cannot allow people to succeed in case those who fail feel worthless."

-- Kenneth Baker, British politician.
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James Polk on Politics

"There is more selfishness and less principle among members of Congress than I had any conception of, before I became President of the U.S."

-- James Polk, President of the United States.
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Kinky Friedman on Politics

"Politics is the only field in which the more experience you have, the worse you get."

-- Kinky Friedman, American satirist.
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Indira Gandhi on Politics

"People tend to forget their duties but remember their rights."

-- Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India.
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John Adams on Politics

"Democracy… while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide."

-- John Adams, President of the United States.
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Lech Walesa on Politics

"The supply of words in the world market is plentiful but the demand is falling. Let deeds follow words now."

-- Lech Walesa, Polish trade union and human rights activist.
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Zach Wamp on Politics

"In closing, let me just thank God, on the floor of the House, for not turning away from us even though we seem to be turning away from Him."

-- Zach Wamp, United States Congressman.
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Theodore Roosevelt on Politics

"A typical vice of American politics is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues."

-- Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States.
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Hillary Clinton on Politics

"The challenge is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible."

-- Hillary Clinton, United States Secretary of State.
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Geoff Davis on Politics

"Two million dollars is only small when you're talking about Washington, D.C."

-- Geoff Davis, United States Congressman.
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Richard Reeves on Politics

"A lot of history is just dirty politics cleaned up for the consumption of children and other innocents."

-- Richard Reeves, American author.
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William Proxmire on Politics

"Power always has to be kept in check; power exercised in secret, especially under the cloak of national security, is doubly dangerous."

-- William Proxmire, United States Senator.
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Bill Owens on Politics

"Government frequently has a problem recognizing perception versus reality."

-- Bill Owens, Governor of Colorado.
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John Podhoretz on Politics

"Here's a very good rule of thumb in politics: losing begets losing."

-- John Podhoretz, American author.
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Herbert Hoover on Politics

"When we are sick, we want an uncommon doctor; when we have a construction job to do, we want an uncommon engineer, and when we are at war, we want an uncommon general. It is only when we get into politics that we are satisfied with the common man."

-- Herbert Hoover, President of the United States.
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Paul Begala on Politics

"Politics is show business for ugly people."

-- Paul Begala, American political consultant.
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Workers World Party on Politics

"Our party fights for a socialist society—where the wealth is socially owned and production is planned to satisfy human need. We promote international working-class solidarity, the right of every nation to sovereignty and self-determination, and militant resistance at home to imperialist interventions and wars." -- Workers World party.
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Reflections on Politics

"What other nations call religious toleration, we call religious rights. They are not exercised in virtue of governmental indulgence, but as rights, of which government cannot deprive any portion of citizens, however small."

-- Richard Mentor Johnson, Vice President of the United States.
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David Ben-Gurion on Politics

“Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared”

-- David Ben-Gurion, Prime Minister of Israel.
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Craig Washington on Politics

"I prefer a man who will burn the flag and then wrap himself in the Constitution to a man who will burn the Constitution and then wrap himself in the flag."

-- Craig Washington, United States Congressman.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower on Politics

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."

-- Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States.
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Margaret Thatcher on Politics

"Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country."

-- Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
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Lord Hailsham on Politics

"The introduction of religious passion into politics is the end of honest politics, and the introduction of politics into religion is the prostitution of true religion."

-- Lord Hailsham, British politician.
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Eleanor Roosevelt on Politics

"Sometimes I wonder if we shall ever grow up in our politics and say definite things which mean something, or whether we shall always go on using generalities to which everyone can subscribe, and which mean very little."

-- Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States.
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Bob Inglis on Politics

"We are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants."

-- Bob Inglis, United States Congressman.
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Alec Douglas-Home on Politics

"There are two problems in my life. The political ones are insoluble and the economic ones are incomprehensible."

-- Alec Douglas-Home, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
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Pat Oliphant on Politics

"I hate changes of administrations, because I have all my villains in place and they are all taken away and replaced with faceless wonders nobody knows."

-- Pat Oliphant, American cartoonist.
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George Nethercutt on Politics

"If I can't affect some change in six years, maybe I'm in the wrong place."

-- George Nethercutt, United States Congressman.
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Gerry Adams on Politics

"It will always be a battle a day between those who want maximum change and those who want to maintain the status quo."

-- Gerry Adams, Irish politician.
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Alfred E. Smith on Politics

"The American people never carry an umbrella. They prepare to walk in eternal sunshine."

-- Alfred E. Smith, Governor of New York.
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Rutherford B. Hayes on Politics

"I am a radical in thought (and principle) and a conservative in method (and conduct)."

-- Rutherford B. Hayes, President of the United States.
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Al Sharpton on Politics

"If Charlton Heston can have a constitutional right carry a rifle, why can't grandma have a constitutional right to health care?"

-- Al Sharpton, American social activist.
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Mohandas Gandhi on Politics

"A religion that takes no account of practical affairs and does not help to solve them is no religion."

-- Mohandas Gandhi, political and spiritual leader of India.
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Jimmy Carter on Politics

"We cannot be both the world's leading champion of peace and the world's leading supplier of the weapons of war."

-- Jimmy Carter, President of the United States.
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Blanche Lincoln on Politics

"It certainly makes no sense to enact more laws if we cannot, or do not, enforce the ones we have."

-- Blanche Lincoln, United States Senator.
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Christie Todd Whitman on Politics

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room."

-- Christie Todd Whitman, Governor of New Jersey.
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Confucius on Politics

"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of."

-- Confucius.
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Samuel Adams on Politics

"Mankind are governed more by their feelings than by reason."

-- Samuel Adams, American statesman.
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Sam Ervin on Politics

"The President seems to extend executive privilege way out past the atmosphere. What he says is executive privilege is nothing but executive poppycock."

-- Sam Ervin, United States Senator.
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Hugo Black on Politics

"A union of government and religion tends to destroy government and degrade religion."

-- Hugo Black, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
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Reflections on Politics

“We do not worship Iran, we worship Allah. For patriotism is another name for paganism. I say let this land burn. I say let this land go up in smoke, provided Islam emerges triumphant in the rest of the world.”

-- Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Supreme Leader of Iran.
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Jeff Miller on Politics

"But recently it seems that each time I vote, I am being asked to compromise my conservative ideals and my commitment to the American taxpayer simply for the benefit of political gain."

-- Jeff Miller, United States Congressman.
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James Bovard on Politics

"Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner."

-- James Bovard, American author.
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Michael Novak on Politics

"Our political institutions work remarkably well. They are designed to clang against each other. The noise is democracy at work."

-- Michael Novak, American author.
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Reform Party on Politics

"We commit ourselves to reform our political system. Together we will work to re-establish trust in our government by electing ethical officials, dedicated to fiscal responsibility and political accountability."

-- Reform Party of the United States.
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H. L. Mencken on Politics

"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods."

-- H. L. Mencken, American author.
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Aristotle on Politics

"The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both of the other classes."

-- Aristotle, philosopher.
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Charles Grassley on Politics

"If I move one way, I lose a couple votes. If I move another way, I lose a couple votes."

-- Charles Grassley, United States Senator.
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Joe McGinniss on Politics

"Politics, in a sense, has always been a con game."

-- Joe McGinniss, American author.
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William Howard Taft on Politics

"We live in a stage of politics, where legislators seem to regard the passage of laws as much more important than the results of their enforcement."

-- William Howard Taft, President of the United States.
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Lewis H. Lapham on Politics

"Of what does politics consist except the making of imperfect decisions, many of them unjust and quite a few of them deadly?"

-- Lewis H. Lapham, American author.
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Henry Fountain Ashurst on Politics

"When I have to choose between voting for the people or the special interests, I always stick with the special interests. They remember. The people forget."

-- Henry Fountain Ashurst, United States senator.
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Plato

"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."

-- Plato, philosopher.
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Molly Ivins on Politics

"The thing about democracy, beloveds, is that it is not neat, orderly, or quiet. It requires a certain relish for confusion."

-- Molly Ivins, American author.
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American Reform Party

"If we are ever successful in this effort, our philosophy will then be "populist" thereby, and more representative of the Democratic Republic we profess ourselves to be a government, "of the people, by the people, and for the people."

-- American Reform Party.
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Claude Pepper on Politics

"The mistake a lot of politicians make is in forgetting they've been appointed and thinking they've been anointed."

-- Claude Pepper, United States Congressman.
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Everett Dirksen on Politics

"A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money."

-- Everett Dirksen, United States Senator.
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Jennifer Dunn on Politics

"As we have always seen here in the U.S. the universal truth about elections is that people vote their pocketbook."

-- Jennifer Dunn, United States Congresswoman.
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Reflections on Politics

"Politics: who gets and who pays."

-- Unknown.
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Ric Keller on Politics

"You can lead a bureaucrat to water, but you can't make him think."

-- Ric Keller, United States Congressman.
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Henry George on Politics

"There is danger in reckless change, but greater danger in blind conservatism."

-- Henry George, political economist.
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Abbie Hoffman on Politics

"You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists."

-- Abbie Hoffman, American political activist.
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U.S. Prohibition Party

"Strive to enhance the freedom and dignity of the individual and to protect the welfare of the family. Let's work together in a political party which seeks to implement social policies advocated by thoughtful people of many religious traditions."

-- U.S. Prohibition Party.
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John McCain on Politics

"The problem... is that most members of Congress don't pay attention to what's going on."

-- John McCain, United States Senator.
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John Locke on Politics

"Government has no other end, but the preservation of property."

-- John Locke, English philosopher.
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Jim Hightower on Politics

"Politics isn't about left versus right; it's about top versus bottom."

-- Jim Hightower, American author.
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Lyndon B. Johnson on Politics

"I seldom think of politics more than eighteen hours a day."

-- Lyndon B. Johnson, President of the United States.
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Howard Phillips on Politics

"The Democrats will take us over the cliff at 80 miles an hour. The Republicans will stay within the speed limit, but they'll still take us over the cliff."

-- Howard Phillips, Constitution Party presidential candidate.
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Robert Higgs on Politics

"Since the end of the nineteenth century, if not earlier, presidents have misled the public about their motives and their intentions in going to war."

-- Robert Higgs, American economist.
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August Bebel on Politics

"We aim in the domain of politics at republicanism; in the domain of economics at socialism; in the domain of what is today called religion, at atheism."

-- August Bebel, German social democrat.
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Sean Penn on Politics

"I was brought up in a country that relished fear-based religion, corrupt government and an entire white population living on stolen property that they murdered for and that is passed on from generation to generation."

-- Sean Penn, American entertainer.
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DeForest Soaries on Politics

"My sense was that most of the elected officials in Washington - in their heart of hearts - really believe that the system can't be too bad because it produced them."

-- DeForest Soaries, American politician.
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Ron Paul on Politics

"Our country's founders cherished liberty, not democracy."

-- Ron Paul, United States Congressman.
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George Mitchell on Politics

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

-- George Mitchell, United States Senator.
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Bill Clinton on Politics

"The 22nd Amendment should probably be modified to say two consecutive terms instead of two terms for a lifetime."

-- Bill Clinton, President of the United States.
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David E. Price on Politics

"I am struck by the fact that personal faith and political agendas are intertwined more closely now than at any other time in recent history."

-- David E. Price, United States Congressman.
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Norm Coleman on Politics

"It is easy to criticize, particularly in a political season. But to lead is something altogether different. The leader must live in the real world of the price that might be paid for the goal that has been set."

-- Norm Coleman, United States Senator.
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Judy Biggert on Politics

"I also believe that the Supreme Court should be the final arbiter of all federal questions."

-- Judy Biggert, United States Congresswoman.
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Napoleon Bonaparte on Politics

"A Constitution should be short and obscure."

-- Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France.
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William Randolph Hearst on Politics

"A politician will do anything to keep his job, even become a patriot."

-- William Randolph Hearst, American newspaper publisher.
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Fidel Castro on capitalism

"I find capitalism repugnant. It is filthy, it is gross, it is alienating... because it causes war, hypocrisy and competition."

-- Fidel Castro, President of Cuba.
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Thomas Jefferson on Politics

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

-- Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States.
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Thomas Mann on Politics

"Democracy is timelessly human, and timelessness always implies a certain amount of potential youthfulness."

-- Thomas Mann, German author.
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Herbert Hoover on Politics

"About the time we can make the ends meet, somebody moves the ends."

-- Herbert Hoover, President of the United States.
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Art Spander on Politics

“The great thing about democracy is that it gives every voter a chance to do something stupid.”

-- Art Spander, American author.
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Jesse Jackson on Politics

"If you run, you might lose. If you don't run, you're guaranteed to lose."

-- Jesse Jackson, American civil rights activist.
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Powell Clayton on Politics

"Let's trace the birth of an idea. It's born as rampant radicalism, then it becomes progressivism, then liberalism, then it becomes moderated conservative, outmoded, and gone."

-- Powell Clayton, Governor of Arkansas.
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Daniel O'Connell on Politics

"There is nothing politically right that is morally wrong."

-- Daniel O'Connell, Irish politician.
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World Socialist Party of the United States

"The establishment of a system of society based on the common ownership and democratic control of the means and instruments for producing and distributing wealth by and in the interest of society as a whole."

-- World Socialist Party of the United States.
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Barack Obama on Politics

"I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody."

-- Barack Obama, President of the United States.
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Richard Lamm on Politics

"Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want - and their kids pay for it."

-- Richard Lamm, Governor of Colorado.
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William Greider on Politics

"Americans cannot teach democracy to the world until they restore their own."

-- William Greider, American author.
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Socialist Labor Party of America

"Our goal is a classless society based on collective ownership and control of the industries and social services, these to be administered in the interests of all society through a Socialist Industrial Union government composed of democratically elected representatives from all the industries and services of the land."

-- Socialist Labor Party of America.
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William Weld on Politics

"Liberals often don't see the problems, and conservatives don't see the promise, of government."

-- William Weld, Governor of Massachusetts.
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Herbert Marcuse on politics

“Not every problem someone has with his girlfriend is necessarily due to the capitalist mode of production.”

-- Herbert Marcuse, German philosopher.
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Benito Mussolini on politics

"The truth is that men are tired of liberty."

-- Benito Mussolini, Prime Minister of Italy.
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Socialist Party USA

"We strives to establish a radical democracy that places people's lives under their own control -- a non-racist, classless, feminist, socialist society in which people cooperate at work, at home, and in the community."

-- Socialist Party USA.
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Dick Armey on Politics

"Politics will sooner or later make fools of everybody."

-- Dick Armey, United States Congressman.
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America's Independent Party

"Securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity"

-- America's Independent Party.
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Herbert Croly on politics

"Unless the great majority of Americans not only have, but believe they have, a fair chance, the better American future will be dangerously compromised."

-- Herbert Croly, American author.
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Jesse Ventura on politics

"I don't believe we need the government's help as much as some think we do. That belief sets me apart from the Democratic Party. I also believe our lifestyle choices should be left up to us. What we do in our private lives is none of the government's business. That position rules out the Republican Party for me."

-- Jesse Ventura, Governor of Minnesota.
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Barbara Mikulski on voting

"The American system of democracy is founded on the concept that every citizen has the right to vote, to know that their vote is counted, and that the vote is counted accurately."

-- Barbara Mikulski, United States Senator.
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Bob Dole on The U.S. Senate

"If you're hanging around with nothing to do and the zoo is closed, come over to the Senate. You'll get the same kind of feeling and you won't have to pay."

-- Bob Dole, United States Senator.
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Paul Wellstone

"Politics is about the improvement of people's lives. It's about advancing the cause of peace and justice in our country and the world. Politics is about doing well for the people."

-- Paul Wellstone, United States Senator.
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Thomas Friedman on politics

"We are led by lawyers who do not understand either technology or balance sheets."

-- Thomas Friedman, American journalist.
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George McGovern on politics

"Politics is an act of faith; you have to show some kind of confidence in the intellectual and moral capacity of the public."

-- George McGovern, United States Senator.
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Nelson Mandela on politics

"In my country we go to prison first and then become President."

-- Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa.
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Adam Smith on Politics

"On the road from the City of Skepticism, I had to pass through the Valley of Ambiguity."

-- Adam Smith, Philosopher.
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Barbara Lee on Politics

"I wish the press were paying more attention to the erosion of the Constitution and the slippery slope that we're getting into, by giving up the right of the Congress to talk about when and how and where we go to war."

-- Barbara Lee, United States Congresswoman.
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Franklin Knight Lane on Politics

"No man should have a political office because he wants a job."

-- Franklin Knight Lane, United States Secretary of the Interior.
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Gerald R. Ford on Government

"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."

-- Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States.
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Ross Perot on politics

"Which one of the three candidates would you want your daughter to marry?"

-- Ross Perot, American businessman and presidential candidate.
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Donald Rumsfeld on politics

"Don't divide the world into "them" and "us." Avoid infatuation with or resentment of the press, the Congress, rivals, or opponents. Accept them as facts. They have their jobs and you have yours."

-- Donald Rumsfeld, United States Secretary of Defense.
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"You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."

-- John Quincy Adams, President of the United States.
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Brad Henry on voting

"It is a paradox that far too few Americans participate in the wonderful ritual of democracy that we call Election Day."

-- Brad Henry, Governor of Oklahoma.
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George W. Bush on politics

"The legislature's job is to write law. It's the executive branch's job to interpret law."

-- George W. Bush, President of the United States.
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Phil Gramm on pork spending

"I'm carrying so much pork, I'm beginning to get trichinosis." -- Phil Gramm. United States Senator.
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Todd Akin on Courts

"The Supreme Court and courts in general have been usurping the role of the legislative branch of government."

-- Todd Akin, United States Congressman.
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Pat Paulsen on politics

"Assuming either the Left Wing or the Right Wing gained control of the country, it would probably fly around in circles."

-- Pat Paulsen, American satirist.
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Calvin Coolidge on America

"The business of America is business."

-- Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States.
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John Adams on government

"While all other sciences have advanced, that of government is at a standstill - little better understood, little better practiced now than three or four thousand years ago" -- John Adams, President of the United States.
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Jean Jacques Rousseau on politics

"The English think they are free. They are free only during the election of members of parliament." -- Jean Jacques Rousseau, French philosopher.
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Lamar Alexander on politics

"Put too many one-size-fits-all jackets on Americans and the place explodes." -- Lamar Alexander, United States Senator.
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David Nolan on politics

"The struggle between the forces of control and the forces of liberty is rapidly moving towards a climax, but I think that we're gaining ground rapidly enough that we're going to win." -- David Nolan, founder of the U.S. Libertarian Party.
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Ralph Allen on politics

"Without a good cultural policy, without adequate help, we will always have individualists, shooting stars who are rapidly forgotten or who stop painting for a more profitable occupation." -- Ralph Allen, British politician.
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James Madison on war

"War should only be declared by the authority of the people, whose toils and treasures are to support its burdens, instead of the government which is to reap its fruits." -- James Madison, President of the United States.
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"The Constitution is never tested during times of tranquility; it is during times of tension, turmoil, tragedy, trauma, and terrorism that it is sorely tested." -- Mike Honda, United States Congressman.
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Chuck Robb on the U.S. Senate

"I made more decisions in a half-day as governor than you can make in a whole week in the Senate... it's too slow for me." -- Chuck Robb, United States Senator.
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George Pataki on government

"When government accepts responsibility for people, then people no longer take responsibility for themselves." -- George Pataki, Governor of New York.
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Maynard Jackson on politics

"Politics is not perfect but it's the best available nonviolent means of changing how we live." -- Maynard Jackson, Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.
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Dianne Feinstein on guns

"Banning guns addresses a fundamental right of all Americans to feel safe." -- Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator.
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Machiavelli

"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him." -- Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian philosopher.
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Plato

"Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty." -- Plato, Greek philosopher.
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Ken Livingstone on voting

"If voting changed anything, they'd abolish it." -- Ken Livingstone, British politician.
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Alan Cranston on politics

"I don't think there's any one definition, but to do effective political work you have to have vision and practicality, and learn how to persuade people that what you feel needs to be done does need to be done." -- Alan Cranston, United States Senator.
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William Cobbett on politics

"It is by attempting to reach the top in a single leap that so much misery is produced in the world." -- William Cobbett, English journalist.
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Newt Gingrich on politics

"Politics and war are remarkably similar situations." -- Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
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Marcy Kaptur on America

"Increasingly, Americans don't own America." -- Marcy Kaptur, United States Congresswoman.
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Mario Cuomo on politics

"You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose." -- Mario Cuomo, Governor of New York.
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Mo Udall on politics

"If you can find something everyone agrees on, it's wrong." -- Mo Udall, United States Congressman.
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Robert Teeter on politics

"Look at the declining television coverage. Look at the declining voting rate. Economics and economic news is what moves the country now, not politics." -- Robert Teeter, American political strategist.
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Milovan Djilas on politics

"Normal life cannot sustain revolutionary attitudes for long." -- Milovan Djilas, Yugoslavian politician.
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Charles Rangel on voters

"We love the ability of the people to influence the actions of decision-makers, of lawmakers and presidents to be removed from or elevated to office by the will of voters, and of the community to connect amongst diverse populations through the ballot box." -- Charles Rangel, United States Congressman.
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Mike Gravel on the U.S. Senate

"It's like going into the Senate. You know, the first time you get there, you're all excited, 'My God, how did I ever get here?' Then, about six months later, you say, 'How the hell did the rest of them get here?' -- Mike Gravel, United States Senator.
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Paul Goodman on free speech

"In America you can say anything you want - as long as it doesn't have any effect." -- Paul Goodman, American author.
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Emma Goldman on politics

"Politics is the reflex of the business and industrial world." -- Emma Goldman, American political activist.
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Modern Whig Party

"Our self-described philosophy includes general principles of fiscal responsibility, strong national defense and bold social progression." -- Modern Whig Party.
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Adam Smith on politics

"I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good." -- Adam Smith, Philosopher.
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Ronald Reagan on government and the economy

"The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -- Ronald Reagan, President of the United States.
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Boyle Roche on freedom of speech

"We should silence anyone who opposes the right to freedom of speech." -- Boyle Roche, Irish politician.
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Populist Party of America on Freedom

"Put simply, we want you to be free. Free to live your life as you think best, not as any politician thinks is best for you. Free to do whatever you want with your self and your property, as long as by doing so you don't infringe on another person's freedom to do the same." -- Populist Party of America.
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Susan George on Debt

"Debt is such a powerful tool, it is such a useful tool, it's much better than colonialism ever was because you can keep control without having an army, without having a whole administration." -- Susan George, American political scientist.
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Garet Garrett on Government

"Formerly government was the responsibility of people; now people were the responsibility of government." -- Garet Garrett, American author.

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Eric Alterman on Politics

“Americans continue to suffer from a notoriously short attention span. They get mad as hell with reasonable frequency, but quickly return to their families and sitcoms. Meanwhile, the corporate lobbies stay right where they are, outlasting all the populist hysteria.” -- Eric Alterman, American author.

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Green Party candidate David Cobb

“I Don't Care How Many Votes I Get” -- David Cobb, U.S. Green Party presidential candidate.

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John F. Kennedy on Politicians

"Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process." -- John F. Kennedy, President of the United States.

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Pauline Hanson on Government

"Governments must give to all those who have hit life's hurdles the chance to rebuild and have a future." -- Pauline Hanson, Australian politician.

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Henry Kissinger on Politicians

"Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation." -- Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State of The United States.

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Hubert H. Humphrey

"The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor." -- Hubert H. Humphrey, Vice President of the United States.

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Norman Cousins on Government

"Government in the U.S. today is a senior partner in every business in the country." -- Norman Cousins, American author.

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U.S. Labor Party

"We believe that on issues most important to working people – trade, health care, and the rights to organize, bargain and strike – both the Democrats and Republicans have failed working people." -- U.S. Labor Party.

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Michael Laws on Political Parties

"There is nothing likely to get you a bigger headline than attacking your own party." -- Michael Laws, New Zealand politician.

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Reform Party of the United States

"We commit ourselves to reform our political system. Together we will work to re-establish trust in our government by electing ethical officials, dedicated to fiscal responsibility and political accountability." -- Reform Party of the United States.

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Congressman Nick Rahall on the First Amendment

"I believe that the Framers of the Constitution made their intent clear when they wrote the First Amendment. I believe they wanted to keep the new government from endorsing one religion over another, not erase the public consciousness or common faith." -- Nick Rahall, United States Congressman.

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John Stuart Mill on politics

"A party of order or stability, and a party of progress or reform, are both necessary elements of a healthy state of political life." -- John Stuart Mill, British philosopher.

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Ho Chi Minh

"When the prison doors are opened, the real dragon will fly out." -- Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman.

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Jeannette Rankin on War

"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake." -- Jeannette Rankin, United States Congresswoman.
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Senator Al Franken

"There's no liberal echo chamber in this country. There's a right-wing echo chamber. I want to create a countervailing echo chamber." -- Al Franken, Amercian entertainer.

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U.S. Party for Socialism and Liberation

"We are fighting for socialism, a system where the wealth of society belongs to those who produce it, the working class, and is used in a planned and sustainable way for the benefit of all. In place of greed, domination and exploitation, we stand for solidarity, friendship and cooperation between all peoples." -- U.S. Party for Socialism and Liberation.
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Rick Santorum on Rights

"The idea is that the state doesn't have rights to limit individuals' wants and passions. I disagree with that. I think we absolutely have rights because there are consequences to letting people live out whatever wants or passions they desire." -- Rick Santorum, United States Senator.

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Kurt Eisner

"Truth is the greatest of all national possessions. A state, a people, a system which suppresses the truth or fears to publish it, deserves to collapse." -- Kurt Eisner, Bavarian politician.

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Senator Robert Casey on political power

"Any man who has ever tried to use political power for the common good has felt an awful sense of powerlessness." -- Robert Casey, Jr. United States Senator.

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Pericles on Politics

"Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." -- Pericles, Greek statesman.

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Congressman John Kasich on corporate welfare

"When we give a subsidy, the benefits to the public ought to exceed the benefits to the company. When it doesn't, that's our definition of corporate welfare."

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Chris Patten on democracy

"In a democracy everybody has a right to be represented, including the jerks."

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Senator Russell B. Long on Taxes

"A tax loophole is something that benefits the other guy. If it benefits you, it is tax reform."

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Harry S. Truman

"When you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship." -- Harry S. Truman, President of the United States.

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Christopher Dodd on Politics

"I don't care what the public wants, I'm going to give it what it needs!" -- Christopher Dodd, United States Senator.

More on The Printed Owl.

Reflections on Politics

"Men are more easily governed through their vices than through their virtues." -- Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France.

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