New York Times Quotes

The House of Representatives is ruled by a small group of old men.

The career of politics grants a feeling of power. The knowledge of influencing men, of participating in power over them, and above all, the feeling of holding in one's hands a nerve fiber of historically important events can elevate the professional politician above everyday routine even when he is placed in formally modest positions.

To be frank, politics is about wanting power, getting it, exercising it, and keeping it.

House Speaker John Boehner has less sway over his caucus members than they have over him.

I want to talk to these people because they stay in power and you change all the time.

Real politics are the possession and distribution of power.

The term Party is applied equally to the peaceful parties of America and to the Communist Party of Russia, the Nazi Party of Germany, and the Fascist Party of Italy. The methodology of these parties varies, but their fundamental objective-to place and keep their leaders in control of the government - is the same.

[Warren] Harding didn't like being a Senator; he liked being in the Senate.

Washington has political power combined with the insider illusion of being in control.

The leaders of a party, or those who are so called, have but little sway over their followers, particularly when not in Government, and when they have it not in their power to threaten them with any very serious consequences

When you are not running for office, the people in the party listen to you more.

It is doubtful if any power he [Theodore Roosevelt] has over us through his office or through his leadership of a party is so great as this which he exercises directly through his example and character.

In domestic politics, presidents rarely wield independent power; what they wield is influence. Power is the capacity to make people do what you want them to do; influence is the ability to make them want what you want, at least temporarily.

You'd know if I was the de-facto leader of the Democratic Party, because you'd go down to Walgreen's and buy a pack of blunts.

The problem with politics isn't the money; it's the power.

A political leader must keep looking over his shoulder all the time to see if the boys are still there. If they aren't still there, he's no longer a political leader.

I think I can regard myself as a political decision-maker.

I think political people are afraid of me.

We're taught Lord Acton's axiom: all power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believed that when I started these books, but I don't believe it's always true any more. Power doesn't always corrupt. Power can cleanse. What I believe is always true about power is that power always reveals.

If I bring up political power, personal power, it sounds like they're my terms, and they're not.

If we win, we'll make history, and I'll serve you on the Agriculture Committee.

Robert Moses wasn't elected to anything. We're taught that in a democracy power comes from being elected. He had more power than anyone, and he held it for 48 years.

It is very difficult to get legislation passed. But then the danger always is that you have no power at all if you do not exercise constant power.

If you lose, you can't lead. If you don't lead, you're irrelevant. Winning is what it's all about in politics.

The leader of a political party in a country like ours is so exposed that his enemies become as numerous and formidable as his friends.