Fiorello H. La Guardia Quotes
Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I call the attention of the House to these bridge bills that are coming up .... This bill is typical of the type of bill that should be objected to.
La Guardia was the foe of pork-barrel politics:
Fiorello H. La Guardia, 1882-1947, U. S. Congressman (Republican & Socialist, NY), New York City Mayor (Republican and Fusion Party), Debate in Congress, December 8, 1926
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
In subsequent years military officers got around this restriction by privately expressing confidential opinions to members of Congress and the press. In the Iraq war for example most senior military officers felt that more troops were needed in Iraq. However, since the President decided on the final troop count only one official, the Army Chief of Staff, has publicly expressed the view that it was insufficient. He was retired early. The stricture still stands.
He was one of the few Congressman who never engaged in the shady practice of earmarking appropriations for their own districts, states, constituents and lobbyists who contribute to their campaigns. However, like almost all members of Congress, he was very aggressive in seeking and supporting programs for his district.
What is fascinating about this quotation is that although the head of a religion, Smith was not advocating the kinds of personal lifestyle issues of his church the way modern religious leaders do, but was concerned with the much larger issues of expansionism, corruption of the courts and judiciary, and land distribution. He was a classic reform candidate in that sense. Smith had written to most of the then likely Presidential candidates of both major parties asking for their position on the Mormons who were facing persecution wherever they went. None of the politicians would make any satisfactory commitments. Smith took Direct Action and became the only major religious official to have run for the Presidency of the United States until Pat Robertson tried and failed in 2000. Smith’s assassination shortly thereafter cut his run for the Presidency short before it made much headway and politically he had no chance to affect the race.
1st Viscount Snowden
The President-elect was very circumspect with respect to Congress:
At the time, Root was a Senator from New York and was trying to eliminate the large number of patronage jobs, most of which were not even real jobs—just payment. These developed the name of “No Show Jobs.”
Fiorello Henry La Guardia was an American attorney and politician who represented New York in the House of Representatives and served as the 99th Mayor of New York City from 1934 to 1945. Known for his irascible, energetic, and charismatic personality and diminutive stature, La Guardia is acclaimed as one of the greatest mayors in American history. Though a Republican, La Guardia was frequently cross-endorsed by other parties, including the rival Democratic Party, under New York's electoral fusion laws.
