Tom DeLay Quotes

As a lobbyist, I thought it only natural and right that my clients should reward those members who saved them such substantial sums with generous contributions. This quid pro quo became one of hallmarks of our lobbying efforts.

The Republican Party has steadfastly sided with its donors and its lobbyists, and this is why we're where we are.

Many of these [big political] donors are my friends. Those people are not like charities ... They Want. These are total tough cookies. When they give millions and millions of dollars, they're not doing it for the good of the American Cancer Society. They're doing it for themselves.

And when the guy [politician] says “Yes, I took money, but it didn’t influence my vote”? Oh, come on. The company that’s giving you the money thinks it is going to influence the vote. Why else would they give you the money?

A lot of times, politicians will go to where their strongest force is and do things for them, and that's the type of thing they do that I find offensive.

Politicians pay more attention to interest groups than to the public interest.

People who think the might in Washington can be persuaded, or corrupted if you will, by anything less than voters just doesn’t understand what its about and never will. They don’t know what Washington juice is made of.

It challenges a linguist to define modern campaign contributions as something other than bribery.

The T. and P. folks are working hard on their bill. … They offered one M. C. one thousand dollars cash down, five thousand when the Bill passed and ten thousand of the bonds when they got them, if he would vote for the Bill.

This [political fundraising] is a very sophisticated system … This is a legalized bribery system where no one has to say anything. I don’t have to say what I want—you [the politician] know what I want.

Not since the gilded age has our politics been opened so wide to corporate contribution and donations from secret sources.

The only people whose views count in the legislation that passes are those with big money. It doesn’t matter what the great majority of Americans want. Our Congress is bought.

I found that the corridors of power in Delhi were littered with lobbies of various kinds.

Honestly, the egos and the quest and thirst for power is very prevalent in Washington.

I think it's important Republicans be in the majority so, like my Democratic counterparts, I give to the party.

I've been able to see some very impressive people that are in politics, and I've been able to see a lot more people that are much less impressive that I don't know if I'd want to spend my life working with. When I see sort of how the sausage is made, it's not very pretty.

Republicans, Democrats, libertarians, and independents all agree on only one thing - our national politicians are bought.

Nobody gives you money for nothing, and that's the lesson with the Clintons. Nobody gives you money because they like you.

Washington is dominated by big money.

The appalling reality in American politics today is that, when ideology and money mix, truth is a mere inconvenience.

The Republican Party is not in the hands of the Jewish lobby in America as the Democratic Party must look quite often to Jewish money to finance candidates.

When it comes to federal elections law, Tom DeLay and his special-interest friends live by one set of rules, and everyone else lives by a very different set.

The Congress is virtually incapable of passing any reforms unless they first get permission from the powerful special interests who are most affected by the proposal.

Now, the typical way you make good things happen in Washington is you find a bunch of wealthy companies who agree with you.

You think that somehow they didn't come after me to get rid of me because my vote is the deciding vote in the health care bill? Then, ladies and gentlemen, you live today in a world that is so innocent as to not understand what's going on in Washington, D.C.