Rutherford B. Hayes Quotes

When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned.

I feel sorry for many politicians... we expect them to be completely consistent and moralised when we're not.

I call God to witness that as a private person I have done nothing unbeseeming an honest man, nor, as I bear the place of a public man, have I done anything unworthy of my place.

It is more important for Labour to raise the reputation of politics than for the Tories, who are only in politics for the money.

It is hard for any one to be an honest politician who is not born and bred a Dissenter.

No man should be in public office who can't make more money in private life.

I can't tell you how many times I've had conversations with politicians who've done something morally reprehensible but not indictable, yet still think they should be able to stay in office. The office isn't a 'right.' It's a kind of loan.

The presidency of the United States was an office neither to be sought nor declined. To pay money for securing it directly or indirectly, was in my opinion incorrect in principle.

Honorable party service will certainly not be esteemed by me a disqualification for public office, but it will in no case be allowed to serve as a shield of official negligence, incompetency, or delinquency.

An honest man in politics shines more there than he would elsewhere.

I initiated the State's investigation of Governor Blagojevich and have prosecuted public officials, including a sitting democratic state representative and democratic State's Attorney.

It's crucial to democracy and good government to scrutinize our public officials.

Throughout my career, I have made rooting out public corruption a top priority.

Let me just say this, and I want to say this to the televison audience: I made my mistakes, but in all of my years of public life, I have never profited, never profited from public service

No public man can be just a little crooked. There is no such thing as a no-man's land between honesty and dishonesty.

When you run for president you have certain obligations. One of them would be to avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest.

We've gotta restore the American people's confidence in the ethics process by ensuring that political self-interest can no longer prevent politicians from enforcing ethics rules.

If I become president, I couldn't care less about my company.

The Clintons believe they're under more scrutiny than anybody's ever been, but because of the way they do things they invite that scrutiny.

Nancy Pelosi said that when it comes to cleaning up government, the Democrats have drained the swamp. The only problem with that is what's left after you drain the swamp: snakes everywhere.

Like a snail crossing a sidewalk, the Clinton Administration leaves a lengthening trail of slime, this time on America's national honor.

Trustworthiness is the thing that you need the most going to a presidential election. Honest and trustworthy is one of the main questions in any presidential election.

It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness. But if we had no divine instruction on the subject, our own interest would demand of us a strict observance of the principle of these injunctions. . . .

Everybody knows that I have tougher ethics rules than any previous President.

I don't believe Spiro Agnew is a crook. If he was a crook, he'd still be in office.