Bud Grant Quotes

In the push and pull of Washington politics, Thom Tillis has decided there are things more important than representing North Carolina. He has put his own political interests, and serving the special interests, ahead of North Carolina's interests.

A lot of people are in politics to make friends, too, instead of making positive change. They're worried about getting re-elected.

My belief is the majority of people in politics are just interested in pursuing this career in politics, and doing what's necessary to get themselves re-elected. And if that happens to coincide with the public good, great. But if it doesn't, the public good loses out.

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.

Every thing in Congress revolves around the campaign—to hell with the country.

I think maybe the people in elected positions are more interested in preserving their jobs than in doing the best job possible.

The problem with State of the Union speeches is that they are, by their nature and design, alphabet soup. It's hard to know what a president really cares about when they run down a laundry list and check every issue box under the sun for fear they will offend some constituency if they don't.

Politicians make decisions in favor of their interest groups or their supporters back in their hometowns.

Too many terms corrupts politicians so they only want to be reelected.

If I was into politics, I would be rich.

Republicans know that government spending creates jobs. They just want that spending to be funneled to their projects and districts... and they certainly don't want to say it out loud.

Believe it or not, there are members of Congress who actually want to govern and get stuff done. Unfortunately, there are others whose agendas and strategies serve to advance their own interests and expand their donor base.

The important thing to understand about legislators is that there are dozens of competing interests and issues that occupy them. They are stretched thin.

We have become part-time Senators and full time fund-raisers. Even the schedule of the Senate itself is now arranged around the need to raise money for the next political campaign, rather than around the need to solve the nation's problems and do the people's business.

Why the best men do not get into politics.

Government has come to be a trade, and is managed solely on commercial principles. A man plunges into politics to make his fortune, and only cares that the world shall last his days.

A politician cannot separate his own personal advantage from his own political advantage.

In many cases they [members of congress] go outside their district [to raise money.] They in effect trade policy positions for money. Then they go back to their districts and use the money to run campaigns on a nonpolicy basis.

You've got just one year when Congress treats you right. Then they start worrying about themselves.

Most of the people who want you to run for governor want something.

You can’t solve a problem by throwing money at it, but you can get a Senate majority by throwing money at it.

Is that a politician’s ‘No’?

When a member of Congress has a leadership PAC, he can be legally bribed by making donations to the PAC because when the member of Congress retires or is voted out of office, he is allowed to use the leadership PAC money that remains for his and his family’s personal expenses.

Special interests are interested in whatever's special to them.

A typical member of Congress devotes several hours a day to asking for contributions and several more to worrying about how her donors will feel about her votes on the floor.