Paul Ryan Quotes

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

Much of the money raised in politics does not come free of charge.

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.

The scandalous question that hangs over modern government and excites perpetual outrage is about political money and what it buys. What exactly do these contributors get in return for the hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars they funnel to the politicians?

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.

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

Money in politics is like ants in your kitchen. You close all the holes and get them all out or they'll find their way in again.

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

Members of Congress like us for our information, but they love us for our money.

The most misguided, naïve, uninformed, egregious decision of the United States Supreme Court … in the 21st century. To somehow view money as not having a corrupting effect on an election flies in the face of reality. I just think that just one of the five had run for county sheriff. I guarantee you … there will be scandals. There is too much money washing around political campaigns today, and it will take scandals and maybe the Supreme Court will go back and revisit this issue

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

Not since the gilded age has our politics been opened so wide to corporate contribution and donations from secret sources.

Money is the mother's milk of politics

The use of billions of dollars to fund election campaign and pay lobbyists to author legislation is not politics. It is legalized bribery.

This Court now concludes that independent [political] expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.

Most elected officials don't want you to know about the world of political fundraising because they fear that it paints an unflattering portrait of public life.

There's issue of a corrupt campaign finance system, where big money interests and Wall Street are trying to buy elections.Those are the issues that are resonating.

You've got to just follow the money [in Washington]. You see it. There's no countervailing power.

Well, the role of money in politics is pretty corrupting right now.

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

I can tell you that too much money is corrupting American politics. Don't blame the American public. The U.S. Supreme Court has a lot to answer for, because it has made it impossible for Congress to reduce the corrupting influence of money on American political life.

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

As long as we, in the United States, continue to insist that our politicians have to spend all of their time raising millions of dollars for television ads, it will be corrupt. If we leave it up to the politicians to clean up lobbying and finance reform, nothing is going to change.

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

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