Krist Novoselic Quotes

In order to have your voice be heard in Washington, you have to make some little contribution.

Young people have so much more power than they tend to think to be able to affect politics. And if people will organize and get involved and go out and knock on doors and hand out leaflets and make a change, then they can determine the future.

Public employee unions are hardly the only group involved in bare-knuckles politics. Businesses lobby fiercely, and executives make hefty campaign donations.

I don’t know how to do what you have to do to get something out of a congressman.

Corporate power in the political process is a reality.... Why violate the law by bribing public officials when there are legal and more traditional methods of persuasion that are more effective? Among these methods are campaign contributions, advertising, lobbying, and government-business job exchanges.

We probably had very strong influences, shall we say, on about 100 Congressional offices.

When you go to a political convention, the best place to spend time is at the numerous parties put on by lobbyists. And you don't go for food. You go to beg for money.

So few people vote these days, and I think it's partly because they don't feel like the institution really means anything to them. If you want them to vote, give them opportunities to do something else other than vote, to help.

Who do you think controls the Republican Party? Big money controls the Republican Party. This is where their campaign contributions come from.

The way to get people civically engaged, not just during the election but throughout the year, is to tap into Facebook and let them do it with their friends.

People underestimate the impact they can have on the process through contact with legislators. By being part of an organized group in an area that you have an interest in, you can multiply the impact of your own ideas.

You can't take a congressman to lunch for $25 and buy him a hamburger or a steak or something like that. But you can take him to a fund-raising lunch and not only buy him that steak, but give him $25,000 extra and call it a fund-raiser - and have all the same access and all the same interactions with that congressman.

After all, Wall Street is clearly the most powerful lobbying force on Capitol Hill. From 1998 through 2008, the financial sector spent over $5 billion in lobbying and campaign contributions to deregulate Wall Street.

A CBS spokesman said the network's policy was tightened in September 2006 to forbid contributions to political campaigns. Previously, there was a bit of wiggle room.

I'm convinced that unless you have some public financing of elections, you are never going to remove the power of wealthy interests over elected officials.

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

The American system of political spending is so unregulated that it might make Adam Smith rethink free markets.

The truth is, the 'Fortune' 500 prefer lobbying to campaigning.

The Latino vote has to be earned just like any other.

“Lobbyist” has been a dirty word in politics for a number of years.

Don't Let Your Government Speak for You!

The principal reasons that special interests can extract their price from government is money .... Those who do not accept money from PACs are those who have other sources.

People who think the might in Washington can be persuaded, or corrupted if you will, by anything less than voters just doesn’t understand what its about and never will. They don’t know what Washington juice is made of.

[Referring to lobbying:] You get a job in Congress or on a presidential campaign, step up to the administration, and finally go on to easy money.

Almost any member of ours is more effective with his elected representatives than I am.