People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.

Politics is the art of the possible. Remark, Aug. 11, 1867.

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." Acceptance of the New York Liberal Party nomination (14 September 1960)

Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.

The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia.

With bad laws and good civil servants it's still possible to govern. But with bad civil servants even the best laws can't help.

I fear the future I wish for my children is at risk, so I'm taking action. Please join me. Our greatest risk is not terrorism, and it's not Iraq or the "Axis of Evil". Our greatest risk is a lack of leadership, a lack of honesty and a complete lack of consciousness. Unfortunately our current government cannot see the big picture. They think too small. They suffer from the “what's in it for me?” syndrome. The simple truth is that the current administration has squandered incredible opportunities to bring the world together, to promote peace in regions that have only known war, to encourage health in places that are ravaged with disease, to make us more secure by living up to our principles at home and abroad. The simple truth is that the policies of our current administration do not reflect what is great about America.

You will find as you grow older that courage is the rarest of all qualities to be found in public life.

Politics is not an exact science... but an art. Speech (15 March 1884)

Gentlemen, I am a party man. I believe that, without party, Parliamentary government is impossible. I look upon Parliamentary government as the noblest government in the world, and certainly the one most suited to England. Speech to the Conservatives of Manchester (1872-04-03)

Coalitions though successful have always found this, that their triumph has been brief. Speech to House of Commons (1852-12-16)