Steve Southerland Quotes

I'm focused on bringing real change to Washington because the career politicians have screwed things up so badly.

There will be scandals. There will be scandals. And then maybe we can reform again.

We will use new technology to hard-wire the kind of [transparency] reform and accountability into the culture of government so that it can’t be undone in the next administration.

There are good people, who are in politics — in both parties — who hold this at arm's length, because if they acknowledge it and recognize it, then the moral imperative to make big changes is inescapable.

Cleaning up the mess in Washington is gonna take a whole lot of Iowa common sense.

I want to help Donald Trump drain the swamp back in Washington.

To let politics become a cesspool, and then avoid it because it is a cesspool, is a double crime.

This is a matter of public health. The public was sick and tired of DeLay and his corruption.

I ran for president in order to be able to try to change Washington D.C. from the inside. Our federal government is broken.

I've got three little kids at home, and I'm trying to save this country from itself. I'm not here to play political power games, and I've had enough of people playing political power games, and this has just gone on too long.

I believe both parties are sending the wrong kind of people to Washington, D.C.

Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.

I can personally testify that American politics have taken a distinctly downward turn in the space of one mature lifetime.

Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently and for the same reason.

It's hard to make corruption a partisan issue because voters are cynical about everybody in politics.

It’s a strange thing in American politics that everyone who runs for office in Washington, runs against Washington.

Influence, power and money have invaded our political process …. If we leave it to the politicians, it is unlikely that anything will be done.

Washington concentrates on the ends of government and not the means. But the people are so disgusted by the means, that that is what they now are worried about.

I would as soon go to live in a pen in a stockyard as into American politics

American capitalism is predatory, and American politics are corrupt: The same thing is true in England and the same in France; but in all these three countries the dominating fact is that whatever the people get ready to change the government, they can change it. The same thing is not true of Germany

The only accountability-free zone in America: Washington DC.

There is nothing more frightening to a political satirist than an honest administration.

Frankly, I'm fed up with politicians in Washington lecturing the rest of us about family values. Our families have values. But our government doesn’t.

I'm sick and tired of politics and politicians as usual.

I think anyone who serves in public office should have a little bit of contempt for government in their heart.