Bill Owens Quotes

It's so much easier to throw rocks than it is to govern.

Politics is the art of realizing what there is to realize.

Power, in a nutshell, is the ability to get things done, and politics is the ability to decide which things need to be done.

Governing is hard. If you’re in the majority, you’ve got to do the hard work of governing

I cannot sacrifice or compromise my principles.

He [Theodore Roosevelt] acted upon the maxim that half a loaf is better than no bread. I believe that half a loaf is fatal whenever it is accepted at the sacrifice of the basic principle sought to be attained.... A half-way measure never fairly tests the principle and many utterly discredit it.

You won't see me compromising just because it is convenient for me to do so.

When you put emphasis on compromise rather than on principle, you end up with 2/3 of the principles being implemented.

Statesmen exhibit five key commitments: 1) A commitment to principles above politics; 2) An ability to compromise without abandoning principle; 3) A commitment to truth over spin; 4) A commitment to courage over cowardice; and 5) A commitment, or willingness, to give up power.

Barry Goldwater once said, "I'd rather be right than president." I can't tell you how much I disagree with that Barry Goldwater.

Leadership does not always wear the harness of compromise.

To rule is easy, to govern difficult.

A prime minister has to keep a certain balance when dealing with sensitive issues.

In no relationship at the top of any walk of life is it always easy, least of all in politics which matters so much and which is conducted in such a piercing spotlight.

I have principles and I am not going to be forced to compromise them.

It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.

A man of conviction is often more to be desired than a man of experience.

The art of politics is knowing what to do next.

You do the policy, I'll do the politics.

As a member of Congress, I'm often reminded that in baseball, as in diplomacy, you have to know when to hit, when to run, and when to show grace.

We have the means and the capacity to deal with our problems, if only we can find the political will.

In politics, as in business, leadership is crucial.

I'm not a professional politician, I'm a problem solver.

I've been dealing with politicians all my life. All my life. And I've always gotten them to do what I need them to do.

I often say of George Washington that he was one of the few in the whole history of the world who was not carried away by power.