William Proxmire

“We ought to be doing everything we can to get people out of their cars and onto mass transit.”

“Vote for the man who promises least; he'll be the least disappointing.”

“We have the best congressmen, servants of the people, that money can buy.”

“Power tends to corrupt. But the power in Washington resides in the bureaucrat so the problem is not so much corrupt senators or congressmen as it is corrupt bureaucrats.”

“Too many of our campaign contributions are not investments in democracy, but investments in special privileges.”

“The public has a right to know. It is not only right, it's a necessity.”

“The genius of our political system is that we can throw the rascals out.”

“My Golden Fleece award for the biggest, most ridiculous or ironic waste of the taxpayers' money for the month goes to the National Science Foundation for a study of love.”

“I'm going to keep speaking out against the super-committee because I'm against this process.”

“One of the most important elements of a healthy democracy is a well-informed electorate.”

“The single most important thing that a person can do for his or her own health is to get regular exercise.”

“The bigger the appropriations, the more scandal.”

“There's no such thing as a free lunch.”

“I am convinced that the banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.”