Barack Obama Quotes

The priority of leadership is what the lobbyists and giant corporations and special interests in Washington want. It's why we're bankrupting our kids and grandkids.

Listen, Bernie Sanders talks about how Washington is corrupt, both parties are in bed with the lobbyists and special interests. I think he's exactly right.

Too many people in Washington care about power institutions, not caring about changing the lives of everyday Americans.

We work for the families back home, we do not work for the lobbyists that prowl the halls of the capital building, do not forget who we work for.

It's time to bring tough medicine to Washington. No longer will policy be set by K Street, it will be dictated by Main Street.

Too often government responds to the whispers of lobbyists before the cries of the people.

Washington is a pool of money surrounded by people who want some.

Everyone else is represented in Washington by a powerful lobby ... But there is no lobby for the people.

I believe with $200,000 I can pass our bill. I do not think we can get any legislation this session for land grants or changing line of road unless we pay more for it than it is worth.

Ethics and Washington DC. Are they mutually exclusive?

When the [political] clubhouse gets control of the seat of government, invariably the private interest outweighs the public interest, and corruption sets in.

Washington is rigged to favor people who have an army of lobbyists.

They could care less about the public. The public comes in third. Number one is keeping their power. Number two are the special interests, the people footing the bill. Finally, the public good might be third — if they can profit from it. If there's no profit, they could care less.

Many Americans have sensed there is a very corrupt pay-to-play system going on in Washington.

When a secretary of state rakes in millions and millions of dollars trading access and favors to special interests and foreign powers, I know the time for action has come.

We have weakened the parties and strengthened all the special interests.

When dealing with American politics, you try to follow the money, and that's where it leads you. It doesn't take you to the electoral college or to Princeton. It takes you down the darker alleys of American life.

The pressure of special interests, the demands of special sections of the state, the needs of friends, all must be subordinated to the good of the people as a whole.

Objective journalism is one of the main reasons that American politics has been allowed to be so corrupt for so long.

Money has too big an influence on our politics in Washington and somehow we need to do something about that.

Two million dollars is only small when you're talking about Washington, D.C.

Washington's a cesspool of money.

Too often, they play to whatever group is the loudest down at City Hall, and they buy them off, essentially.

What we have now is a situation where politicians get a whole bunch of money from mainly business interests. Then once they hold that office, they spend all their time in office paying back over and over again those campaign contributions through various favors and contracts and that sort of thing.

As a lobbyist, I thought it only natural and right that my clients should reward those members who saved them such substantial sums with generous contributions. This quid pro quo became one of hallmarks of our lobbying efforts.