John Bercow Quotes

I don't think that Washington is a fundamentally bad or corrupt place.

History shows that more democracy is not a magic pill that will make institutionalized corruption will go away.

I want either less corruption, or more chance to participate in it.

Corruption is not the sole test of your worthiness to form the government.

Bringing accountability to Washington has been an important part of my time in office and an important part of my campaign.

People do not want politicians they know to be corrupt.

Texas has waited too long for a governor who knows that quid pro quo shouldn't be the status quo. It's time for a governor who believes that you don't have to buy a place in Texas' future.

In Minnesota, we hold our leaders to a higher standard. We demand that the men and women we send to Washington stand above reproach and steer clear of the web of corruption, kickbacks and special favors.

I'm not going to reduce the choices of Canadians at the ballot box by backroom deals or secret arrangements. I think that's a cause for cynicism more than anything else.

There are, believe it or not, good politicians.

The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest.

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

You can reform a political culture, but it’s a big lift. First, the voters would have to convince the legislators that they’re being watched by someone other than the lobbyists. Then they’d have to press for laws that would force a change of behavior, like nonpartisan redistricting and ethics reform. Then the voters would have to follow up, year after year, until the old guard was replaced by a whole new generation who went into politics with dreams of drafting serious legislation, rather than just bringing more stuff back into the district or, at worst, shaking down some landlord at the airport for a thousand bucks.

Louisiana showed up at the top of a study of political corruption that calculated the number of convictions per capita. Georgia came out as worst on a corruption risk report from the State Integrity Investigation, which measured factors like accountability, transparency and ethics enforcement.

I am willing to undergo the disadvantage in order to make certain that in the future we shall reduce the power of money in politics..

Term limits aren't enough. We need jail.

I think that at his core, Benjamin Netanyahu is not corrupt.

The biggest issue that we have to contend with is campaign finance reform.

I'm not affiliated with Ed Burke, Joe Berrios or anyone else who represents the old, corrupt Chicago way. I am offering voters a complete break from that past and pushing us forward in a way that brings people together and makes government more inclusive.

Any politician can talk about resuscitating public trust.

Transparency and accountability must be restored in politics.

In my very first Cabinet meeting, I told my colleagues we must take on corruption, lawlessness, casteism, and the politics of appeasement.

I would like to have an ample fund to spread the light of Republicanism, but I am willing to undergo the disadvantage to make certain that in the future we shall reduce the power of money in politics for unworthy purposes.

The Watergate reforms did work well for many years, and if improved and broadened, these reforms can have real and major impact on the system today.

Texans deserve better than failed leaders who dole out favors to friends and cronies behind closed doors. It's time for a governor who believes that you don't have to buy a place in Texas' future. It's time for a governor who believes that the future of Texas belongs to all of us.