Abraham A. Ribicoff Quotes

After a great deal of thought and discussions with my family, I have decided not to seek re-election in 2014. Politics shouldn't be a career, and I never intended to make it one.

I love politics, but I wouldn't want to be involved in it. Too little money, too much work! I don't really have the personality for that.

Politicians also have no leisure, because they are always aiming at something beyond political life itself, power and glory, or happiness.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan is the archetypal extremely smart person who went into politics anyway instead of doing something worthwhile for his country.

I always thought of myself is a private-sector person. I was a reluctant candidate. I put in my time. Now it's somebody else's turn to take charge. But I am still very interested in politics.

When I'm not a politician, I'll be dead.

For someone like me who, as a kid, walked to school muttering little political speeches to myself, it was irresistible to finally get a chance at political life for real. When the people of Etobicoke-Lakeshore elected me their MP, it changed me forever.

Public men rarely keep their promises to retire from public life.

Men in political life must be ambitious.

A man’s got to walk if he is going to be in politics.

I like to be involved in politics. I like to be involved in government. I've been in politics all my life. I would like to remain in government. I don't think that's so sinister.

Well, I spent 23 years in politics, and bits of that were fun.

I've decided to get into active politics on Narendra Modiji's request. I don't know how successful I will be, but I'll give it my best shot.

I'm not into politics. I have received offers to enter politics, but I have not been tempted so far. I can't say about the future.

I have been immeasurably honored to serve the people of Maine for nearly 40 years in public office and for the past 17 years in the United States Senate. It was incredibly difficult to decide that I would not seek a fourth term in the Senate.

My father was the Prime Minister of Pakistan. My grandfather had been in politics, too; however, my own inclination was for a job other than politics. I wanted to be a diplomat, perhaps do some journalism - certainly not politics.

I was a very, very good congressman.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life in politics. When I'm finished with my term as governor, I'm going back to the life that's waiting for me in the private sector.

I got to be White House chief of staff, ten years of congressman, secretary of defense, vice-president. If you're a political junkie like I obviously am - that was - every one of those was just a tremendous experience. I'm very comfortable with what I did and why I did it and how I did it. And I'll let others judge whether they liked it or not.

You know, a statesman is a dead politician.

Elective office and public service are obviously something that have long ties with my family, and something I'm definitely interested in.

I have no intention of running for office again.

I knew early on that I would do politics, but I would never make a living at it. I would do something else.

Going into politics is something people have asked me about forever.

It is no secret that I believe my son, Attorney General Beau Biden would make a great United States Senator - just as I believe he has been a great Attorney General. But Beau has made it clear from the moment he entered public life, that any office he sought, he would earn on his own.