Political Connections Quotes

Politicians are actors, too, don't you think? Usually, if you like people and you're outgoing, not a shy little thing, you can do pretty well in politics.

I don't have business with any politicians.

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.

Political fealty trumps merit in the administration’s dealing with contractors.

Judges certainly have political connections and strong political views, but that doesn't mean they can't rise above politics when they hear cases. We expect them to, and the law presumes they do.

Money buys access; access buys influence.

One of the advantages of getting elected governor when you're 58 instead of 38 is you have some mileage on you and part of that means some history and some relationships with people who have spent a fair amount of their career in the public and in the private sector.

The Presidents who have gone to Washington without first having held some national office have been at great disadvantage. It takes them a long time to become acquainted with the Federal office-holders and the Federal Government.

A general charge of crony capitalism is easy to make. But dividing the 'bad' crony capitalists from the 'good' innovative entrepreneurs is much harder to do. And sorting them out without creating a new group of crony capitalists may be the hardest thing of all.

Crony capitalism is alive and well: the big are bigger, the wealthy are getting wealthier because, with a very large powerful complicated government, which is what we have and which Democrats want more of, only the big, the powerful, the wealthy and the well connected can survive.

Poor Rahul Gandhi doesn't know the ABCD of Karnataka politics.

Politics are now nothing more than the means of rising in the world.

It's very interesting how Washington works. It's not about speeches. It's about relationships.

Rupert Murdoch has been around since the dinosaurs. He knows how to get around any independent board - as he did with me, and as he's done with other editors as well.

The longer you're here [in Congress] the better seniority looks.

I've owned a business for 26 years. My family isn't in politics and my supporters aren't special interest groups in Madison and Milwaukee.

Mitt Romney comes from a family of builders.

There is a steady flow between corporate board rooms and government decision making centers.

I am not from a political family. I never had the opportunity to meet the world leaders earlier.

Talent is really important in politics, but experience is also really important.

A senator will come off Capitol Hill and they'll be barred from two years from lobbying in the Senate. So they'll pick the phone up and they'll call their buddy, the senator, their old buddies, and they'll say, 'Listen, I'm here at this law firm now. I can't lobby you, but my new partner, Jack, can lobby you.'

When I left government, it appeared I could get some rather unusual things done from the inside.

Parties in Washington are a natural extension of the working day.... Everybody uses everybody.

I knew Barack Obama, absolutely. And I knew him probably as well as thousands of other Chicagoans.

Washington has political power combined with the insider illusion of being in control.