Richard Armitage Quotes

Johnson showed me how important it was to use every hour of every day to shape national policy while we had the power to do so.

A man who understands the power of the Presidency, who understands the potential of the Presidency, can get almost anything accomplished.

In the White House, you can be on the pitcher's mound or you can be in the catcher's position. Put points on the board. Show people you can govern. Deliver on what you said you were going to deliver on.

When you see how the President makes political or policy decisions, you see who he is. The essence of the Presidency is decision-making.

As to mere power I have been for years in the daily exercise of more personal authority than any President habitually enjoys.

There was no one at the table [of a Cabinet meeting] who could be of help to me except the President, and when I needed to consult him I did not choose a Cabinet meeting to do so.

Presidents ... become hermits only at their peril. Running the executive branch is now a team sport. It is operated best by politicians who thrive on command, possess a fine and sure touch for the levers of power and enjoy the company of those who serve them.

The President sets the policies and Congress does not. Our lawmakers in Washington ratify and implement what the President wants, but if he is a strong leader and can hold his own party together, even with the majority of the opposition against him he usually can win over enough members of Congress to carry what legislation he really feels is essential.

When the President makes something a priority, we see action.

Luckily, I'm a governor - so I get to tell you what I've already done not just what I'm going to do.

I really want to be governor when I have a partner in the White House.

See that the President, the Cabinet and staff are informed. If cut out of the information flow, their decisions may be poor, not made, or not confidently or persuasively implemented.

Given the daunting challenges that we face, it's important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.

Power without principle is barren, but principle without power is futile. This is a party of government, and I will lead it as a party of government.

We need a great president.

I always felt the gifts you need as governor were more suited for my personality. I'm a good team player, but I'm not a policy wonk. In Congress, you need 218 votes to make anything happen. When you're governor, you're the CEO of the state. You establish the vision and standards for the state. You're the leader.

I've got a pen and I've got a phone - and I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions and administrative actions that move the ball forward.

President Lincoln is timid, vacillating, and inefficient.

No government, be it the most perfect, can stand without strong executive authority.

I have not had the cabinet here for 6 weeks. I can run the government better without them.

Without political will, nothing moves forward.

Being Attorney General is a lot better than being a judge. You can get something done. If you have an idea, you’ve got thousands of people you can put to work on the idea.

When you're in the real world as President of the United States it doesn't go according to the script.

Headmasters have powers at their disposal which Prime Ministers have never yet been invested.

The more the President cares about things, the more the other people in the government will attend to them.