Benjamin Franklin Quotes

Princes need, in tender matters and ticklish times, to beware what they say.

It's not a very good idea to make an enemy of anyone who buys ink by the barrel.

Theodore Roosevelt owes more to newspapers than any other man of his time, or possibly of any other time.

Know when to speak - for many times it brings danger, to give the best advice to kings.

Right after the game, say as little as possible.

The time comes upon every public man when it is best for him to keep his lips closed.

That's my curse, I see the politics within these things and so I don't say yes to them.

I think it's important to keep things private, and there are certain boundaries I feel very particular about drawing. It may seem fastidious, but my experience of talking to the press is that I need those boundaries to remain very clear.

People ought to quit talking to the press.

I've been trying to keep the private life private. Not being savvy or trained on how to do good interviews like a politician, I thought it was wiser to follow my mother's advice: If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all.

I think the thing I had to be careful about while writing a book was not to say anything that was revealing about other people that they would be uncomfortable with. I didn't want to make people angry - that's a real risk.

Wooing the press is an exercise roughly akin to picnicking with a tiger. You might enjoy the meal, but the tiger always eats last.

Obviously, I've seen what the press has done to my cousins. I would never let that rule my life, but I'm not the kind of person to rebel or do things. I don't know. I don't let the potential for bad press dictate who I am, but I keep that in mind. How can you not?

I have no pretension that I belong in D.C. I mean, I have to be cautious on how we do our restaurant.

A politician wouldn't dream of being allowed to call a columnist the things a columnist is allowed to call a politician.

I don't talk about my personal life with the press.

The press is like a big bass, you just stick a hook in their mouth and they'll take it.

Television has spread the habit of instant reaction and has stimulated the hope of instant results.

In all my life I have treated the press with marked contempt and had remarkable success.

[Press] Photographers are the only dictators in America.

In Washington, non-attribution is a way of life.

You can take a position with the media, but don’t necessarily get in their face.

My New Year's resolution is to make sure I genuflect appropriately before the Chicago media on everything I do.

The press ... is but the servant of human intellect and its ministry is for good or evil, according to the character of those who direct it. The press is a mill that grinds all that is put into its hopper. Fill the hopper with poisoned grain and it will grind it to meal, but there is death in the bread.

Twenty five years in Washington has taught me never to tell a lie to a reporter.