Political Negotiation Quotes

Politics has been called the “art of the possible,” and it actually is a realm akin to art insofar as, like art, it occupies a creatively mediating position between spirit and life, the idea and reality.

I wouldn’t be too serious about bipartisanship. It’s a great myth that ought to be fostered. And don’t bring too damn much scholarship to bear on it. You’ll prove it out of existence if you’re not careful.

When you are President you have to get something done, and that often means compromise.

We saw what happened in Jimmy Carter's administration. President Carter was a good man with the best of intentions. But he came to Washington without a good working relationship with Democratic members of Congress, which played a big part in his administration's problems.

Lyndon Johnson was perhaps the greatest political arm twister in the country’s history.

The press has a tendency to focus on what politicians disagree on.

There's no way to resolve Syria without Iran being involved, given its financing of Assad and the fact that Hezbollah is probably the most effective fighting force that Assad can count on.

Congress is hard to deal with, dealing with, you know, multiple parliaments and commissions and unions and this and that and the other, that's very complicated.

There is no area where experience matters more than in war and diplomacy.

Often vastly more important, international agreements are not routinely published in draft form or publicly debated, and civil society organizations and ordinary citizens often learn of important global institutional design decisions only after they have already been finalized and adopted. The only reliable way to be kept informed and to exert timely influence is by lobbying and paying the politicians and their negotiators.

In my opinion, it is not in our interest to have complicated negotiations with a region, and then have to follow it up with 535 negotiations at home. I have experienced recounts, and it is better to vote once.

The middle in Congress is gone now. That is where we got most things done.

Vajpayeeji's time was a time of mutual respect and understanding, irrespective of how small or big a party you are. In fact, Vajpayeeji's handling of a coalition is something of a benchmark in world politics.

If the debates had been public, no constitution would have ever been adopted.

The president is the leader of the nation. The president brings people together, does the deals, does the trades, knocks the heads together. The president leads.

I have learned how to take votes where I had to hold my nose because I had to compromise - something that you learn to do, especially when you have been in the minority.

There is never just one way in politics.

Congress is unable to do the work of the American people because too many politicians believe that compromise means capitulation.

You have to be an optimist to be in politics.

On the Sandy bill, I did the best I could on waste, fraud and abuse, and then when the final bill comes, you don't say, 'Hell, no' because you didn't get everything you want in there.

Politics is not a science...but an art.

You cannot rely on House or Senate staff to pass a piece of legislation for you, but if you have antagonized staff, they can block you.

Dialogue is the essence of parliamentary politics.

The Congress talks and talks and talks and talks, but doesn't act. I'm going to continue to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to bring about comprehensive immigration reform.

We are going to get the Civil Right Bill! Dirksen is going to come out in support…. and don’t ask me what I had to give him.