Claire McCaskill Quotes

It's my father's legacy. My father's view was that the public is the employer of these government employees and has the right to know what they're up to.

As a legislator, I saw how effective I could be by being transparent, posting and explaining all of my votes.

If one of my colleagues wants to block a bill, they should stand up in front of the American people and explain why.

Open government is, within limits, an ideal that we all share. U.S. President Barack Obama endorsed it when he took office in January 2009.

I decided to run for governor because I got mad... I want to make government more directly accountable to the people.

I am committed to working towards a more transparent, accountable, and ethical federal government worthy of the public's trust.

I think there's been a decline in the public's access to what's being done with their tax dollars, what's being done in their name. I hope that that will be repaired.

Ethics in government has always been important to me.

Having been given that public trust, we have a responsibility to share with the public.

I can not, therefore, see how this can be imputed as a crime, or how any of the king's ministers can be blamed for his doing what the public has no concern in; for if the public be well and faithfully served it has no business to ask by whom.

The Bush administration doesn't particularly like public participation. It makes them look bad.

I think prime ministers, I actually think Cabinet ministers should be subject to intense scrutiny, I think that's in the public interest, even if some of the allegations made aren't right and so on, and they have to correct the record, it doesn't matter.

The BBC should not have a cheerleader. It should have somebody who runs the organisation in the interests of the public and that should be a chairman.

If governments did not mislead their citizens so often, there would be less need for secrecy, and if leaders knew they could not rely on keeping the public in the dark about what they are doing, they would have a powerful incentive to behave better.

If we want to truly regain the public's trust, we can provide greater accountability and transparency with a simple step. Let's start by communicating to our constituents about the votes we take.

When the Vice President of the United States shoots somebody, the public has the right to know.

The people have the right to know what their Agents are doing or have done, and it should not be in the option of the Legislature to conceal their proceedings.

Government is a trust, and the officers of the government are trustees; and both the trust and trustees are created for the benefit of the public.

A man ain't got not right to be a public man, unless he meets the public views.

When we like our new rulers we call them public servants. When we are mad at them we call them bureaucrats; but it is the business of self-government to see that they remain servants of the public instead of becoming its masters.

Those who do not serve the public interest should not hold a public license.

We cover Congress only when it gets to the final vote on something, too late for the public to respond.

Thomas Edison invented a voting machine for legislatures. Politicians hated it. They didn’t want people to know how they voted.

Public business in the United State Senate should be done in the public.

He serves his party best who helps to make it instantly responsive to every need of the people.