Kevin Phillips Quotes

Money speaks louder than words in Washington.

Washington has political power combined with the insider illusion of being in control.

Washington is rigged to favor people who have an army of lobbyists.

In Washington, every closet has a revolving door.

People like Elizabeth Dole have given too much power to the special interests.

We live in a country where Wall Street owns Washington.

Show me a supposedly 'unfixable' problem in Washington, and I'll show you the political corruption standing in the way.

Washington is dominated by big money.

Oh, that all the things my father had told me about how disgusting Washington is are true. And again it's the system - there are lots of nice, well-meaning people there. But it's a sleazy place. And politics is all about doing favors.

The biggest problem that we have is that California is being run now by special interests. All of the politicians are not anymore making the moves for the people, but for special interests and we have to stop that.

I am not in Washington as a statesman. I am there as a very well paid messenger boy doing your errands. My chief occupation is going around with a forked stick picking up little fragments of patronage for my constituents.

People correctly perceive that the most powerful thing in Washington is money.

Government runs by clout. That's how it runs, by clout.

Washington can be a very lonely place for Congressman and Senators. Many acquaintances almost all of whom want something and very few friends.

Members of Congress don’t want anyone to have more influence than they have—that’s why they hated Harry Hopkins.

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

I have the most reliable friend you can have in American politics, and that is ready money.

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

Washington's a cesspool of money.

Obviously no one wants to give members of Congress a lot of money, because they barely do anything, and many of them are terrible, but a Congress that is made up of rich-but-not-super-rich people is going to be more corruptible than a Congress of really rich people.

Spending limits not only do not work, they have the perverse effect of making special interests more powerful and more influential.

Eventually, money wins in politics.

Everyone in Congress represents Washington.

The principal reasons that special interests can extract their price from government is money .... Those who do not accept money from PACs are those who have other sources.

Farmers who are legislators are the easiest to buy and seduce.