Quotes About Leadership

I had a 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' experience as governor.

Washington is unpredictable these days.

If Washington continues to fumble issues like taking care of the debt, getting the troops home, and rebuilding our economy, my wife and I may sit down and say, 'These are critical things and maybe we need to get back in the ball.'

Ohio's doing what it can do, but I wish they'd get their act together in Washington.

If Mr. Obama wants to get things done, he must recognize that in Washington only the president has the power to make the first big move.

If it takes talking about unpleasant truths to change Washington, then so be it.

I think in Washington, D.C., a lot of people are talking down about business.

I think he should let me run Ohio. He should let us, the legislature, the members there, we should be running Ohio. The states are the laboratories out here, and I think the president needs to mind to the problems that he has in Washington.

I love Arizona. I was raised right. Somebody has to go to Washington and knock the hell out of the place.

The Republicans I know or the conservatives I know, they disagree with what the Republicans are doing in Washington because we are compromising too much.

There is so much uncertainty out there, and the government in Washington doesn't seem to get it. What's needed is a new business environment.

People are fed up with the career politicians who created this mess or failed to prevent it and neither was acceptable, and the only way we could change that was by sending a different type of person to Washington.

You know, one thing I've learned over 40 years is that when you have jobs in Washington, you do it day by day and that's what I'm doing as secretary of defense.

There's a void of leadership in a lot of Washington. I think one of the reasons why there's so much angst across the country.

Of course people think Washington is arrogant. It is.

Every president since George Washington has taken executive privilege seriously. Every Republican president has.

I think Newt Gingrich has a proven track record of changing Washington and getting results.

No matter where I go - London, Beirut, Jerusalem, Washington, Beijing, or Bangalore - I'm always looking to rediscover that land of ten thousand lakes where politics actually worked to make people's lives better, not pull them apart.

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt faced adversities that, in their times, seemed impregnable. Great presidents overcome great odds.

Movies such as 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' in 1939 to 'Dave' in 1993 portray Washington leaders as the ultimate Everymen - decent people just like you and me, only thrust onto greatness.

The country has moved off track. The people in Washington don't have the hard-nosed business experience needed to get the economy up and running.

It's a sad indication of where Washington has come, where policy differences almost necessarily become questions of integrity. I came to Washington in the late '70s, and people had the ability in the past to have intense policy differences but didn't feel the need to question the other person's character.

Throughout the 40 years I've been in Washington, I've always worked hard, particularly with regards to the budget issues.

Our government has failed us. From the billion-dollar bailouts to the 'stimulus' package that failed to stimulate to the government takeover of health care, you cried 'Stop!'... but the Democratic Majority in Washington has refused to listen.