Barbara Meade Quotes

A million dollars in the presidential election is a spit in the ocean. It's not a lot of money.

All elections revolve around and are often resolved by who raises the most money. That's unfair. I'd like to see that process changed, but it seems once you win and get to Congress, that doesn't happen.

In a political contest, the use of some [money] is both right, and indispensable.

In running for Congress, you have to raise over $2 million. You are going to end up shaking hands with people with whom you would rather not shake hands. 95 percent of all the candidates with the most money, win.

The first thing you need to run for President is a budget of around $20 million dollars a day.

We have to have campaign contributions to apprise the public about our qualifications.

We have become part-time Senators and full time fund-raisers. Even the schedule of the Senate itself is now arranged around the need to raise money for the next political campaign, rather than around the need to solve the nation's problems and do the people's business.

You don’t get campaign contributions just because it’s a philanthropic endeavor.

All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law.

Money has become much, much too important in the election process. I felt that way when I had no money, and I feel that way when I do have money.

In the United States 95% of the people who win elections have the most money. That's it. So, money is a big part of elections. But that happens all the time.

I have no control over the super PAC; all I do is write the check.

A political race today, even a primary, is $150 million. The whole political system has become obscene in terms of the absurd amount of money that is required to compete. Just put it on ESPN and call it a sporting event.

When candidates have asked me for support before, they have asked for more than a check.

I think we have to look at the whole way campaigns are financed. The No. 1 problem is PAC and special-interest money.

People have their constitutional right to contribute to a campaign and if they have discretionary money that they want to contribute to a candidate, whether a Republican or a Democrat, they should be able to do so.

Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated.

Well I think money has been going into political campaigns for a very long time.

You spend a couple million dollars running for Congress, people get tired of seeing your face.

Soft money will find its way and seep into the political system and corrode it, unless we plug every hole.

The question now is does Obama have any hope of raising money? I don't think he'll raise it out of the New York people, I don't think he's going to raise it out the Hollywood people, so where's the money going to come from for Barack Obama?

Rule of Dark Matter: SuperPAC dollars cannot be seen by most voters but account for most of the money in this universe.

It is campaign money that calls the tune, a fact recognized by every politician within a few minutes after getting into politics.

Special interests and Congress are too closely connected and the ties that bind are the millions spent on campaigns.

The arms race for money being what it is, fundraising starts shortly after someone is elected to Congress.