Bernie Sanders Quotes

After all, Wall Street is clearly the most powerful lobbying force on Capitol Hill. From 1998 through 2008, the financial sector spent over $5 billion in lobbying and campaign contributions to deregulate Wall Street.

You can't take a congressman to lunch for $25 and buy him a hamburger or a steak or something like that. But you can take him to a fund-raising lunch and not only buy him that steak, but give him $25,000 extra and call it a fund-raiser - and have all the same access and all the same interactions with that congressman.

The biggest problem that we have is that California is being run now by special interests. All of the politicians are not anymore making the moves for the people, but for special interests and we have to stop that.

This [political fundraising] is a very sophisticated system … This is a legalized bribery system where no one has to say anything. I don’t have to say what I want—you [the politician] know what I want.

A millionaire can buy a Senate seat just as he would buy an opera box or a yacht or any other luxury in which he can afford to indulge himself. In some instances the sale takes the form of open bribery of the legislators; more often the Senate seat was simply the satisfaction of a ‘claim’ acknowledged by the leaders of the party and created by large contributions to the party treasury.

Our government is for sale.

Until we make campaigns affordable, then we're going to have too many members of Congress out rattling the cup with special interest groups.

People who give money in large amount in politics are basically not altruistic. They have some issue. They have some interest. It may be world peace. It may be preserving carried interest. But it's not altruistic.

I think it's a terrible system, but money in politics is like water running downhill -- it finds its way.

Congress doesn't regulate Wall Street. Wall Street regulates Congress.

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.

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

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

I didn't get a phone call from Bill Clinton before I jumped in the race ... maybe it's because I hadn't given money to the foundation or donated to his wife's senate race.

Most successful American politicians look well-fed on endorsements, campaign contributions and chicken dinners.

As a lobbyist, I thought it only natural and right that my clients should reward those members who saved them such substantial sums with generous contributions. This quid pro quo became one of hallmarks of our lobbying efforts.

There’s a real fundamental need for us. You think we have a bad system now? Without us lobbyists, just see what kind of government we would have them

Eventually, money wins in politics.

There is $2.6 trillion spent in Washington, with the authority to regulate everything in your life…. People will spend unheard-of amounts of money to influence that.

America has the best congress money can buy.

The principal reasons that special interests can extract their price from government is money .... Those who do not accept money from PACs are those who have other sources.

It challenges a linguist to define modern campaign contributions as something other than bribery.

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

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