ANDREW CUOMO

People go into politics because they want the affirmation, and they want the applause.

My father was against the death penalty, and that was hard in the Son of Sam summer when fear was driving the desire for the death penalty.

I believe Wall Street needs serious ongoing regulation.

If there's a silver bullet in the battle to recapture Albany, it is the re-engagement of our citizens. This capital has become a physical metaphor for the isolation and alienation of our people.

I believe public education is the new civil rights battle and I support charter schools.

I am fiscally prudent and socially progressive. I believe in protecting a woman's right to choose. I believe in marriage equality.

I'm not going to raise taxes; I'm not going to have a wage increase for public employees.

I don't think anyone would argue with the notion that there have been serious abuses on Wall Street.

I'm a Queens boy at the end of the day.

I'm running for governor; I'm not running for a legislative office.

I have a portrait of Saint Thomas More in my office.

There's a rhythm to the legislative session and there are rhythms to legislative sessions. So I think that's very important to take into consideration when you are deciding what to do when.

I believe we need to attract a new generation of the best and brightest to public service and I believe that government can be a source of inspiration, not degradation.

It's troubling for me as a Catholic to be at odds with the church.

Very few people go into politics to be reviled.

As my Sicilian grandfather used to say, you get more flies with honey than with vinegar, right?

I think there's a lot to learn from Rockefeller on how to pass legislation.

There is energy and power in a crisis.

Lesson 1 from Spitzer: Don't alienate the legislature on Day 1.

People who assume I want to run for elected office may be dealing from a bad assumption.

I am the government.

I respect the state workers and I respect their unions, but we simply can't afford to pay benefits and pensions that are out of line with economic reality.

I am against the death penalty.

Flooding damage is not customary for New York, especially downstate.

To be clear... no one is above the law.