It doesn’t take a lot of strength to hang on. It takes a lot of strength to let go.
Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught.
I never got into politics for it to be a career.
Governor is not the position to have in Oklahoma. It is the head coach of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State or Tulsa.
Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.
I’m secure in who I am. I don’t need the validation of those that would say, you have to be a certain thing in order to be accepted. I’m comfortable going against the grain if I need to.
I like to call the ethos I grew up with ‘Oklahoma values.’ But you’d be just as accurate if you said ‘American values.’ Except for our lack of a seacoast, Oklahoma has a little bit of just about everything that’s American.
Everything I am I owe to my faith and secondly to parents who were old school.
Everyone tries to define this thing called Character. It’s not hard. Character is doing what’s right when nobody’s looking.
My views on everything from welfare to a balanced budget to affirmative action can be traced to what Buddy and Helen Watts taught me as a young boy growing up poor but proud in Eufaula.
I do think, however, that there’s a very diverse point of view in the African-American community. There’s a lot of different voices that need to be heard. I don’t claim and pretend to know the thoughts and opinions and ideas of all African-Americans.
Death and taxes may be inevitable, but they shouldn’t be related.
Some might think that George W. Bush had his shortcomings, but let me tell you something – history’s going to be kind to George W. Bush.
I’m looking forward to the day when America will mature to the point that we are a color-blind society. I’m not so sure that in politics that will ever be reality, because politics has a way of separating us based on skin color.
There is a direct correlation between education, stable families and incarceration and crime.
My father taught that the only helping hand you’re ever going to be able to rely on is the one at the end of your sleeve.
I guess probably in my time in politics, it continued to be affirmed to me that the African-American community, despite being subscription television’s most valuable customers, they are very underserved by cable and satellite television programming options.
My work in the House of Representatives, at this time in my life, is completed. It is time to return home.
I think Newt Gingrich has a proven track record of changing Washington and getting results.
Affirmative action is a little like the professional football draft. The NFL awards its No. 1 draft choices to the lowest-ranked team in the league. It doesn’t do this out of compassion or guilt. It’s done for mutual survival. They understand that a league can only be as strong as its weakest team.