Douglas Wilder Quotes

Nine out of ten significant people have to do with money or war!

But I can tell you that the issue, on one side, boils down to money - a lot of money. And it boils down to people and their connections with this money, and that's the portion that, even with this book, has not been mentioned to this day.

Money distorts the democratic process in a fundamental way.

Money is power.

There are three things that are important in politics today: money, money and money.

Money is the mother's milk of everything, and it certainly is the mother's milk of politics.

Politics, war, marriage, crime, adultery. Everything that exists in the world has something to do with money.

Politics has become unbelievably and unfortunately way too much about how much money is involved rather than what kind of ideas are involved.

Washington is dominated by big money.

The appalling reality in American politics today is that, when ideology and money mix, truth is a mere inconvenience.

Money can't buy love, but it improves your bargaining position.

I have the most reliable friend you can have in American politics, and that is ready money.

It's all about the money. Write a check, and you can build anything you want.

Now, the typical way you make good things happen in Washington is you find a bunch of wealthy companies who agree with you.

Economics, politics, and personalities are often inseparable.

Obviously no one wants to give members of Congress a lot of money, because they barely do anything, and many of them are terrible, but a Congress that is made up of rich-but-not-super-rich people is going to be more corruptible than a Congress of really rich people.

We know that's the bottom line: if money is made, the powers that be pay attention.

People correctly perceive that the most powerful thing in Washington is money.

People say law but they mean wealth.

Campaign contributors are operating vicariously through the power of their purse rather than through the power of their ideas.

Wars are directed by bankers.

You don't want Congress peopled by millionaires.

Water does tend to flow up hill toward money and power.

A populist is someone who sees politics from an economic perspective rather than an ideological perspective. I’m a populist. The only thing that really matters is who is gets screwed and who is doing the screwing.

Washington can be a very lonely place for Congressman and Senators. Many acquaintances almost all of whom want something and very few friends.