John Podesta Quotes

Public access to government information is a fundamental prerequisite to a functioning democracy. A democratic system is based on the notion that government legitimacy requires the consent of the governed. To be meaningful that consent must be informed.

So I think in those circumstances, there's some potential that you could see a big pendulum swing like 1994, which people you thought weren't vulnerable all of the sudden get in trouble.

Resignation is just simply out of the question ...

This tough-love, winner-take-all narrative dominating policymaking is far too limited a way to think about how a complex, modern, diverse economy like ours expands and thrives. The strongest periods of economic growth in the 20th century were also times when incomes rose across the board.

In fact, I think that Governor Clinton, when he was running, and President Clinton, when he was serving, actually governed with a wide range of advisors and a perspective that blended the best of ideas from the center and the left.

Senator Kerry carries shrapnel in his thigh, as distinct from President Bush, who carries two fillings in his teeth from his service in the Alabama National Guard, which seems to be his only time that he showed up.

Ultimately I think what people care about, particularly on an issue like Social Security, is not really what's right and what's left but what's right and what's wrong.

If medicine was practiced in 1965 the way it's practiced today, there's no question that prescriptions would have been included in Medicare.

Realistically, I think we are not prepared to go home until we do get more teachers and lower class sizes.

I think that people have to have to have a sense of what ideas are one the progressive side, the Democratic side in order ultimately to be effective in the political world.

The American people have the right to know and understand the laws they live under. And they tend to demand answers sooner or later.

Finally, my biggest failure of 2014: Once again not securing the # disclosure of the UFO files.

There are people who kind of gravitate towards running politics based on new ideas and issues, and that was what the secret was for Clinton.

That doesn't necessarily mean they have to have an explicit proposal that they put forward that all Democrats sign up to, but I think they need to throw some ideas out that, at least directionally, point the way forward.

I think that what we've been able to do is put together both a good group of scholars and analysts and people who aggressively want to make the case to the American public.

I think ... that things are a little bit up for grabs right now ...

First and foremost, when I think of him - I'm prejudiced; I worked for the guy for six and a half years - when I think of him, I think of him first and foremost as an idea politician.