“I am wearied to death with the life I lead. The business of the Congress is tedious beyond expression. This assembly is like no other that ever existed. Every man in it is a great man, an orator, a critic, a statesman; and therefore every man upon every question must show his oratory, his criticism, and his political abilities. The consequence of this is that business is drawn and spun out to an immeasurable length. I believe if it was moved and seconded that we should come to a resolution that three and two make five, we should be entertained with logic and rhetoric, law, history, politics, and mathematics, and then—we should pass the resolution unanimously in the affirmative.”
—JOHN ADAMS, to his wife, Abigail
“I have accepted a seat in the House of Representatives, and thereby have consented to my own ruin, to your ruin, and to the ruin of our children. I give you this warning, that you may prepare your mind for your fate.”
—JOHN ADAMS, to his wife, Abigail
“The passion for office among members of Congress is very great, if not absolutely disreputable, and greatly embarrasses the operations of the government. They create offices by their own votes and then seek to fill them themselves.”
—JAMES K. POLK
“There is more selfishness and less principle among members of Congress than I had any conception of, before I became President.”
—JAMES K. POLK
“[T]hey say that men are different, but husbands are all alike. And so it is in respect to Congressmen. Congressmen are different, but opposition Congressmen are all alike.”
—WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT
“If I said what I thought about those fellows in Congress, it would take a piece of asbestos two inches thick to hold it.”
—WOODROW WILSON
“[O]ne of the undisclosed articles in the Bill of Rights is that criticism and digging of political graves are reserved exclusively to members of the legislative arm.”
—HERBERT HOOVER
“If you tell Congress everything about the world situation, they get hysterical. If you tell them nothing, they go fishing.”
—HARRY TRUMAN
“When it comes down to the relations of any President with a Congress controlled by the opposite party, I just say this: it is no bed of roses.”
—DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
“The selfishness of the members of Congress is incredible.… They are just about driving me nuts.”
—DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
“What can you expect from that zoo?”
—JOHN F. KENNEDY
“Congress can’t take too [many bills] at once. If you take a jigger of bourbon at a time you can drink a long time. But if you drink a pint all at once, it’ll come up on you.”
—LYNDON B. JOHNSON