Quotes about Political Favors

Thomas Sowell

There is nothing that politicians like better than handing out benefits to be paid for by someone else.

New York Times

A millionaire can buy a Senate seat just as he would buy an opera box or a yacht or any other luxury in which he can afford to indulge himself. In some instances the sale takes the form of open bribery of the legislators; more often the Senate seat was simply the satisfaction of a ‘claim’ acknowledged by the leaders of the party and created by large contributions to the party treasury.

A century afterwards, the biggest change was that the price of the Senate seat had gone up and the Political Action Committees had joined the Party Treasuries as the recipients of the money In the early 21st century almost all the Senators were multi-millionaires.

Peter Navarro

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.

John McCain

If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.

Noam Chomsky

Obama's primary constituency was financial institutions. They were the core of the funding for his campaign. They expect to be paid back. And they were. They were paid back by coming out richer and more powerful than they were before the crisis that they created.

Rand Paul

He [Donald Trump] buys and sells politicians of all stripes.

As a candidate for the Republican Presidential Nomination, Trump was very forthright about the fact that when he was a business tycoon, he gave money to many politicians not for any ideological reasons but he considered the money an investment which paid off handsomely. Almost all large campaign donors believe that they are making an investment and most have continued to be satisfied with the results so they continue to donate. See {583282} as an example of Trump's candid view.

Chance The Rapper

I think politics is a reason why a lot of stuff doesn't get done. There's a lot of favors, and a lot of people are held back by their intentions of being re-elected or the things that they owe their party or constituents.

Gary Johnson

Our government is for sale.

John Quincy Adams

No man who ever held the office of President would congratulate a friend on obtaining it. He will make one man ungrateful, and a hundred men his enemies, for every office he can bestow.

Upon learning that his son, John Quincy Adams, had been chosen President of the United States, the former President remarked:

Harold L. Ickes

... he [Thomas E. Dewey] is a political streetwalker accosting men with "come home with me dear.

Richard Croker

Politics are impossible without spoils.... You have to deal with men as they are ... you must bribe the masses with spoils.

Mitch Daniels

Politicians can be bought and often are.

Kishore Mahbubani

When Congress opens the government’s purse, the benefits flow to special interests rather than the public interest.

While this is a common complaint in the American political dialogue at the beginning of the 21st century, it is interesting that this was the conclusion of a foreign political scholar studying that period—one who was generally a great admirer of America.

Steve Hilton

The Democrats are up to their necks in foreign meddling. Nancy Pelosi took money from Ukraine lobbyists. Chuck Schumer took money from Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

Wright Andrews

Those who have lobbyists are more likely to get what they want …. Those who have more money [to spend on lobbying] are more likely to prevail.

Andrew J. Bacevich

As with budget deficits or cost overruns on weapons purchases, members of the national security apparatus — elected and appointed officials, senior military officers and other policy insiders — accept war as a normal condition. Once, the avoidance of war figured as a national priority. On those occasions when war proved unavoidable, the idea was to end the conflict as expeditiously as possible on favorable terms. These precepts no longer apply. With war transformed into a perpetual endeavor, expectations have changed. In Washington, war has become tolerable, an enterprise to be managed rather than terminated as quickly as possible. Like other large-scale government projects, war now serves as a medium through which favors are bestowed, largess distributed and ambitions satisfied.

Esther Dyson

Oh, that all the things my father had told me about how disgusting Washington is are true. And again it's the system - there are lots of nice, well-meaning people there. But it's a sleazy place. And politics is all about doing favors.

Paul Ryan

If you can deregulate money in politics, then you can buy the policy outcomes you prefer.

Eric Greitens

We have a culture of political corruption in Jefferson City. We have corrupt politicians, well-paid lobbyists and special-interest insiders taking the state in the wrong direction.

Allan Boesak

I've been a politician and so I'm sometimes cynical about what politicians won't do. When I hear a politician say something that makes no sense whatsoever, I think there's one of two things there: There's money or the promise of money.

Walter Karp

The hardest way to make a million dollars is to become a United States senator. Any vicious, impudent, brazen, shrewd, gifted person can think of an infinite number of better ways to become rich than to become a crooked politician.

Peter Hitchens

MPs do not work for you. They work for the lobbyists who have bought their parties.

Molly Ivins

As they say around the Texas Legislature, if you can't drink their whiskey, screw their women, take their money, and vote against 'em anyway, you don't belong in office.

Ralph Nader

Washington is corporate occupied territory …. The two parties are fighting it out to see who will take orders from their corporate paymasters.

Newt Gingrich

Congressmen are not bribed anymore. They simply have a lot of friends who are willing to help them out whenever they find it necessary.

Political Favors Quotes