20th-century Politician Quotes

Christmas, that time of year when people descend into the bunker of the family.

The liberal, emphasizing the civil and property rights of the individual, insists that the individual must remain so supreme as to make the state his servant.

They have never felt pain … We don't have their connections, but we're ready to die.

Nattawut Saikua

And 'speak truth unto power'? What does this mean? It means giving your best advice to superiors based on the best information available and objective analysis even when you know it may not be music to their ears.

Of Adolf Hitler:

I, and many others who had interviews with him, were at first impressed by his sincerity, and later realized that he was sincere only in his belief that he was destined to rule the world.

Vernon Bartlett

One thing is clear,... A proximity to the people who are willing to take on responsibility, who are everywhere in our country and not just in politics, will be my main mission. I want to be active in inviting these people to take on responsibility and not just stand around as spectators and critical observers of public life.

I will be sad if I either look up or down after my death and don't see my son fast asleep on the same benches on which I have slept.

Michael Onslow, 7th Earl of Onslow

I am king of my own little island, and that's all I've ever wanted to be.

Joseph Roberts Smallwood

I want to govern provincially no more. I want national independence. […] I took time for this decision because I know all the perils of this mission. I want to ask you to struggle also in order that our country can be born in a close future.

You know, when people have no meaning in their lives, they begin to do things that sometimes can be totally crazy.

I tell the Iranians that if they hear from people here or there that pictures of Ayatollah Khamenei are hung in Iraqi homes, it is a lie.

Iyad Jamal Al-Din

All week Senate will be on the Stimulus/Porkulus Bill. Tune in C SPAN

Thank you for your very detailed letter regarding Scientology. We haven't yet found a way to attack these jackals who feed on children and young adults who are too emotionally weak to stand by themselves when they reach the age of consent. It's too bad there isn't a 20th Century Charles Dickens to write about the terrible destruction of these 20th Century fagins who make themselves rich while they destroy the psyche of so many. At the present time, I can only encourage you to do more of what you have been doing.

If making sure that workers get out of poverty would severely impact the economy, then maybe we don't need this economy.

I don't know if I am a very good politician … I'm not a good hater.

This alliance of reason has so far provided the decisive contribution to preserve stability and order for the people in Europe

Johanna Mikl-Leitner

I don't have an enemy in this state I hope, except rascals like Bill Dodd, Ray Knight and deLesseps Morrison. I'm proud of them! I'll be back. Keep your eye on the indicators. I thought I owed it to you to come look you in the eye and let as many of you see me and see I'm living and I'm not nuts. If I'm nuts, I've been nuts all my life. Thank ya, and God bless ya.

Looking back... I think the North Koreans think they can say whatever they want because no matter what they do, the Americans will never attack them.

To Chris Bryant who posted his photo wearing only underwear on a gay dating website while being a Member of Parliament:

Ah, Bryant, there you are. Nearly didn't recognize you with your clothes on.

Nicholas Soames

The people in this country come first—not the institutions.

Joseph Kennedy III

A dynamic praying church must be built from the inside out, employing all four levels of
prayer: the secret closet, the family altar, small group praying and finally, the
congregational setting.

I never really needed a nickname at school. Although it was bad for me it was much worse for my sister Ophelia.

I admit that we could have done more to win over third-party endorsements and to win over the Senate, and we could have done more to win over the Australian people.

Friends are found on the battlefield, and unfortunately friends are also lost. And where do we find the measure of that sacrifice? How can we account for the value of that loss? Sometimes we can find an answer in our sense of country, at other times in our Corps. But clearly we can see it in the lives that were able to continue due to the acts of others who were not so fortunate.

I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs. I think he would be appalled, actually.