In the end that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?

In my early 20s I studied history and politics and I really thought that perhaps I would devote my life to that.

A year is an eternity in politics - though less than a moment in history.

Is there in all the history of human folly a greater fool than a clergymen in politics?

We can't afford to sacrifice another generation of American children to bureaucratic politics. We've got to get it done. The future the health the life - our nation depends on it and it's just foolish to think or act otherwise.

Obama seemed poised to realign American politics after his stunning 2008 victory. But the economy remains worse than even the administration's worst-case scenarios and the long legislative battles over health care reform financial services reform and the national debt and deficit have taken their toll. Obama no longer looks invincible.

They said it was impossible to touch the third rail of politics to take on public-sector unions and to reform a pension and health benefits system that was headed to bankruptcy. But with bipartisan leadership we saved taxpayers $132 billion dollars over 30 years and saved retirees their pensions. We did it.

I believe there is a relationship between having an interest in the arts and the behaviour of society as a whole. Some politicians find it difficult that the arts is a weapon of happiness... Politics is often about deprivation rather than the opening up of ideas and nourishing creative endeavour.

By asking the question 'Am I happy? ' and via the answer setting out what I mean by happiness there is a political route that can be taken by asking another question - 'Can politics deliver happiness and should it try?'

Is anyone serious about the politics of happiness? David Cameron dipped a toe in the water using the word lightly but denying the hard policies it implies. Labour shies away from it but should take up the challenge.

I think one of the great problems we have in the Republican Party is that we don't encourage you to be nasty. We encourage you to be neat obedient loyal and faithful and all those Boy Scout words which would be great around a campfire but are lousy in politics.

King Louis Philippe once said to me that he attributed the great success of the British nation in political life to their talking politics after dinner.

Magnanimity in politics is not seldom the truest wisdom and a great empire and little minds go ill together.

Let's just do what is right for the American people. And those of us who are involved in politics and government know that our responsibility is to the American people that we have a responsibility to find our common ground to seek it and to find it.

I'm in politics. I'm in government so nothing surprises me.

As long as I don't write about the government religion politics and other institutions I am free to print anything.

You can study government and politics in school but the best way to really understand the process is to volunteer your time.

I'm not driven to get back into politics. It's not on my top five things to do before I die but saying that I may be in politics in the next year or the next ten years. I've been on the front line for 12 years four in state government eight on the national level.

My politics are of a practical kind - the integrity of the country the supremacy of the Federal government an honorable peace or none at all.

In government you carry each hope each disillusion. And in politics it's always about the next challenge.

Fiscal conservatism is just an easy way to express something that is a bit more difficult which is that the size and scope of government and really the size and scope of politics in our lives has grown uncomfortable unwieldy intrusive and inefficient.

If everybody in this town connected with politics had to leave town because of chasing women and drinking you would have no government.

Anyone who thinks that the vice-president can take a position independent of the president of his administration simply has no knowledge of politics or government. You are his choice in a political marriage and he expects your absolute loyalty.

One of the key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace good people don't go into government.