“Don’t worry about the dumb. The dumb will take care of themselves.”

“The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state.”

“The worst illiterate is the political illiterate. He hears nothing, sees nothing, takes no part in political life. He doesn’t seem to know that the cost of living, the price of beans, of flour, of rent, of medicines, all depend on political decisions. He even prides himself on his political ignorance, sticks out his chest and says he hates politics. He doesn’t know that from his political non-participation comes the prostitute, the abandoned child, the robber, and worst of all, corrupt officials, the lackeys of exploitative multinational corporations.”

“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

“No army can stop an idea whose time has come.”

“What we’re trying to accomplish today with the passage of this third stimulus package is to create jobs and help the unemployed. What we’re trying to accomplish is to pass the kinds of legislation, that when they’ve passed in the past, have grown the economy and gotten people back to work. In recessions unemployment lags on well after a recovery has taken place.”

“I broke something and realized I should break something once a week to remind me how fragile life is.”

“There’s no whining in politics.”

“If by a ‘Liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a ‘Liberal,’ then I’m proud to say I’m a ‘Liberal.'”

“Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would never you would not here of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.”

“From what I understand from doctors, pregnancy (as a result of rape) is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.”

“I do not like to write – I like to have written.”

“I don’t hate people, I just feel better when they’re not around.”

“I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

“A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.”

“Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart.”

“Republicans approve of the American farmer, but they are willing to help him go broke. They stand four-square for the American home – but not for housing. They are strong for labor – but they are stronger for restricting labor’s rights. They favor minimum wage – the smaller the minimum wage the better. They endorse educational opportunity for all – but they won’t spend money for teachers or for schools. They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine – for people who can afford them. They consider electrical power a great blessing – but only when the private power companies get their rake-off. They think American standard of living is a fine thing – so long as it doesn’t spread to all the people. And they admire our Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it.”

“There is only one success – to be able to live your life in your own way and not to give others absurd, maddening claims upon it.”