George Pelecanos Quotes

I'm trying to avail myself of the various technologies to get the message that Washington needs to be cleaned up, that the system that's in place is not what's beneficial in the country.

In politics there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers, and then there are those like John McCain who use their careers to promote change.

I know there are a lot of musicians and a lot of artists, and there are a lot of writers and other people who inspire young people, but I'd like to see somebody in political life be able to connect and make these choices that we need to make in Washington real in terms of people's lives.

I am about the people of the United States of America and the people of Houston, Texas.

When a tradition gathers enough strength to go on for centuries, you don't just turn it off one day.

I love Arizona. I was raised right. Somebody has to go to Washington and knock the hell out of the place.

I spent 10 years fighting for reform in Cook County, and I didn't change my DNA when I got to Washington.

For the vast majority of humans in history, people lived, traveled, worked and died within a few miles of their birthplace.

I think the city is the strongest social memory organ of humanity.

When I think about Sen. Collins, I think she might have been different from the other people in Washington when she was first elected but I have to ask is that still the case.

If we're going to come together and make real progress to improve the lives of people here in Maine and across the country, then we need new leadership. Because after 24 years in Washington, Sen. Collins has become part of that broken system, putting special interests and her political party first. And Mainers know it and feel it.

Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion.

The habit of going to your congressman's town hall and asking questions, that's powerful in a way that shouting slogans or getting arrested is not, that is completely counterproductive.

America is woven of many strands. I would recognize them and let it so remain.

At one and the same time, therefore, society is everything and society is nothing. Society is the most powerful concoction in the world and society has no existence whatsoever

Senator Kennedy inspired so many with his decades of service, so I can't think of a more fitting tribute then working to educate and motivate future generations of citizens and public servants alike.

If everybody voted, then it would completely change the political map in this country.

I realized that this was the big secret of democracy -- that change can occur by starting off with just a few people doing something.

Our democracy should reflect our culture and our habits and our customs and our reality at the same time.

When I turn over the keys to the president-elect, America will be much stronger than it was when I came into office.

I love Italy so much, I want to change it in order to make sure it can be all that it can.

I think the American people lose a large part of the joy of life because they do not live for generations in the same place.

I saw 'New Labour'conceived, watched it gestate, witnessed its birth and growth. Now I fervently hope I will be present at its death.

Where progress has been made, wherever any kind of injustice has been overturned, it’s been because people acted as citizens, and not as politicians. They didn’t just moan. They worked, they acted, they organized, they rioted if necessary to bring their situation to the attention of people in power. And that’s what we have to do today.