Barney Frank Quotes

You have to have patience to be a legislator.

Strong men know when to compromise.

The one thing I'm convinced George W. Bush is good at is bipartisanship. It's clearly something he enjoys personally.

I know how to take good ideas and turn them into sensible law at great odds.

I always tell people this: to be a savvy politician or a good head of state and to be charitable are not mutually exclusive things.

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

Statesmanship is harder than politics. Politics is the art of getting along with people, whereas statesmanship is the art of getting along with politicians.

I was a Georgia state legislator for a great many years.

When you are President you have to get something done, and that often means compromise.

The Congress is the place where ordinary mortals go about the business of compromise—of compromise that gets us through the day.

I've always been intrigued by the Senate, and admired many of the people who have served there.

I was a very, very good congressman.

At the moment I am a little bit politician, yes. I think that could be my next step. It is not because I want power, it is because of what I think I could do for the people.

I know I'd be an absolutely horrendous politician.

Business is a useful tool in politics, but it's not enough. You need much more than to be a good businessman, to be a good politician.

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.

I think I'd make a pretty good president, and they have a great pension plan.

When you're out of office, you can be a statesman.

The strong should always permit the weak and aggrieved to talk, to bluster, and scold without taking offence; and if we had so acted, and exercised proper skill in the management of our affairs, Mexico and ourselves would, by this time, have quietly and peaceably settled all difficulties and been good friends.

I'm a politician. I run for office. That's my profession.

I loved being Secretary of State, that's probably evident to everyone who watched me.

The purpose of a politician is to be a leader. A politician has to lead. Otherwise he's just a follower.

I never doubted that I would be a good mayor. I never did.

Running for president is hard. But it's good preparation. Because being president is a lot harder.

I think that I have very few personal gifts to bring to real politics.