Jeff Van Drew Quotes

We need elected officials who care more about policy than politics.

After all, I have spent the better part of my adult life insisting that government be open... that government be accessible... and that government be held accountable to people who voted us into office.

… a right-minded and true-hearted statesman who has had as much sovereign power placed in his hands as you have placed in mine should regard himself as the servant of the Senate; and often of the people as a whole; and sometimes of private citizens, too.

Good government only happens when the people working in it do their jobs, and do them well.

I take policy seriously; I'm not just trying to be a political hack.

Open the way before the new government to prove that it is for serving the people.

We look to our leaders once we elect them to either lead us in the right direction or at least not crush us.

The success of an elected official is doing what everyone knows needs to be done.

Good government

I have been in public office and have been criticized. I do not object to it. A public official should be willing to be criticized. An agent of the people of this country should be called to account.

I do believe that the majority of elected officials worked very hard and their heart is in the right place.

We have to reform the entire political process. It's got to start with leadership by example.

When I became governor, I vowed to restore the public's trust.

What this nation most wants, most yearns for, most needs is someone where people know, all Americans know, that even when they disagree well with him, he will always be accountable to them above one's party, above self and any special interest.

After Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, I was heartened to see him issue an Open Government Initiative on his first full day in office.

Advocacy groups and voters are not wrong to push candidates to declare their position clearly on policy issues. That is good citizenship. Hard questions should be asked of every candidate, every politician. And those public servants should be prepared to answer, but in their own words.

A politician ought to be born a foundling and remain a bachelor.

We have the incredible privilege of serving in the highest offices in the state. We must prove ourselves worthy of our fellow citizens' faith. We must be trusted to always place the public's good above our own and to always choose fairness over favoritism.

I'm one who demands a lot from people. I'm not afraid to look at alternative ways in city government. That's what I've done in my two years and will continue to do in the next four.

As members of Congress, we take an oath to uphold the Constitution and bear true faith and allegiance to the United States, not the Republican or Democratic party. I have been willing to stand up to my own leadership when it's in the national interest.

This idea that you can't be an honest man and a Washington politician is a myth, a crock made up by sellouts and careerist hacks who don't stand for anything and are impatient with people who do. It's possible to do this job with honor and dignity.

I'm concerned about truth and credibility in government.

Most of all, be honest with yourself and make sure those in political office, our so called public servants, are being honest, holding them accountable for their actions!

I am committed to working towards a more transparent, accountable, and ethical federal government worthy of the public's trust.

The American people want to have trust in their leaders.