Sam Rayburn

“Any jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a good carpenter to build one.”

“If you want to get along, go along.”

“The three most important words in the English language are 'wait a minute.'”

“Character is the one thing you can't get from anyone else. You've got to build it for yourself.”

“You cannot be a statesman if you're still looking for a job.”

“Always tell the truth. That way you don't have to remember what you said.”

“No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his mouth shut.”

“I have always tried to do the right thing. I have always tried to be fair.”

“To be a leader you've got to have followers.”

“Eloquence is the essential thing in a congressman, and character is the essential thing in a man.”

“A politician has to be able to see ahead, and it is his business to tell the people what he sees.”

“The size of your conscience is the size of your manhood.”

“I'd rather have a smart man against me than a dumb one. At least you can play politics with a smart man.”