Elliot Richardson Quotes

Under the circumstances, may I suggest another means of encouraging probity in elective office. I refer to term limitations, which can serve ends beyond that of saving congressional souls.

I think the record shows that as Speaker, I have taken the lead in cleaning up politics.

One thing I have frankly decided is that when it comes to political reform we have two conservative parties in British politics. Both the Labour and Conservative parties have constantly and repeatedly failed to honour promises they have made about reforming, cleaning, modernising our clapped-out system.

Serving in the U.S. Congress is about much more than voting on bills. It is about taking on the corporate bullies that taint our democratic process and pushing back when the system is broken.

I look at the corruption in Albany and we cannot accept that.

Meaningful ethics reform is vital to restoring public confidence in Missouri's political system.

By ending congressional taxpayer-funded pensions, we will take one more step toward draining the swamp in Washington.

Our laws governing lobbying and campaign contributions have struck the right balance between the wishes of the people and those of private industry, so why are we so quick to doubt that the same great results can be achieved by putting the government's justice-dealing branch on the same market-based course?

Ever since I arrived in Washington in April 2009, I have been fighting for more transparency and accountability in government.

As we enter into the 110th Congress, it is imperative that we address ethics reforms needed to make this institution run correctly.

I don't need to be looking at every failure of government, I need to be looking where failure of government needs reform.

I am running to fix the economy, restore the constitutional system of checks and balances and to end this game of crony capitalism by the ruling class in Washington.

Given the way some fought for the status quo when I authored the new Ethics Code and created the city's first Ethics Commission, we are going to need your strong support to get an even tougher Ethics Code passed this year.

One of the ways to make sure policies are more transparent and to help restore people's confidence in politicians... is to ensure renewal at the highest level of office.

If a large city can, after intense intellectual efforts, choose for its mayor a man who merely will not steal from it, we consider it a triumph of the suffrage.

It is very important at this juncture to eliminate the influence of big money and special interests in politics.

Oppositions clean and purify those in office and we in the opposition are in fact the detergents of democracy.

We need citizens willing to make Congress accountable for the travesty which passes for government today.

History shows that more democracy is not a magic pill that will make institutionalized corruption will go away.

Donations to political parties, candidates and elected officials should not be a means to gain personal or policy favours or buy access to politicians or civil servants…. Political parties, candidates and politicians should disclose assets, income and expenditure to an independent agency.

The only way to have clean politics is to pay party district and city leaders as business executives.

If they won’t listen, we should limit the Politicians’ terms and send them packing..

Impeachment of the Chief Executive is essential to avoid political assassination when the Executive has rendered himself obnoxious

I think the best term limit is to have public financing of campaigns and independent redistricting.

We need elected officials who care more about policy than politics.