John McCain Quotes

The ideal post-Trump politician will, at the very least, be a deeply serious figure with a strong record of public service behind her.

One cannot underestimate how widely admired Tom Daschle is in Washington for his integrity.

While Secretary Rumsfeld and I have had our differences, he deserves Americans' respect and gratitude for his many years of public service.

What is the use of being elected or reelected unless you stand for something?

Bring back that better era of the republic in which, when men consecrated themselves to the public service, they utterly abnegated all selfish purposes.

Politics is a profession as certainly as base ball.... The only difference is that base ball is on the square; no base ball hero claims he is working in the interest of the crowd in the bleachers.

There never was a time when the services of those who possess talents, integrity, firmness, and sound judgment, were more wanted in Congress.

If I, in my brief connection with public affairs, shall be wicked or foolish, and if you remain true and honest, you cannot be betrayed. My power is temporary; yours as eternal as the principles of liberty.

I am the only public servant and the only Mexican President ever who has made his finances public from before, during, and after public service.

My creed is that public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation with full recognition that every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration, that constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought, that smears are not only to be expected but fought, that honor is to be earned but not bought.

I have seen in the Halls of Congress more idealism, more humaneness, more compassion, more profiles of courage than in any other institution that I have ever known.

Unfortunately we are politicians when we should be statesmen.

Political leaders, elected by the public and vested with the power to shape public life, owe it to citizens to set better standards regarding their use of money, and their conduct, both in and out of office.

Of all our public men of today he stands first in my reverence & admiration, & the next one stands two-hundred-&-twenty-fifth. He is the only statesman we have now. ... Cleveland drunk is a more valuable asset to this country than the whole batch of the rest of our public men sober. He is high-minded; all his impulses are great & pure & fine. I wish we had another of this sort.

No one you'd really like to see in public office has the bad taste to run.

If you do politics the right way, I believe, you can actually make people's lives better. And integrity is the minimum ante to get into the game.

The best citizens were supposed to desire honest men in office, men who would not take bribes, men who would appoint high-minded men as their subordinates, men who would look after the public interest, see that public charities were well supported.

I serve a nation, not a party or a person. Nor to any branch of government.

I did not come to Augusta to provide lip service. I came to work for the Maine people. I also came to Augusta to root out crooked politicians and government corruption.

You need to have good people: honourable, capable, committed in politics, standing in public office. It's not a guarantee, but it's the ideal we have to aim for.

I have a world of respect for Congressman Dold and the service he's given to our country.

I am not the type of politician who will tell you I am going to act for my own benefit. The answer is no, I will continue to serve the public.

'Get along, go along' is not an inspirational philosophy, and only God knows how much moral cowardice it has covered up over the years. Serve your time, collect your chits, and cash 'em in for your home state? No, I'd say we could ask for more than that from our senators.

I am committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct for government officials.

When you are in politics, and you are a genuine person who genuinely cares, then everything comes second.