Douglas Wilder

“I'm not a liberal, I'm not a conservative, I'm not a moderate. I'm a Virginian.”

“You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”

“I didn't get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.”

“Let there be no mistake, I am pro-choice. I am pro-choice in every respect.”

“I have a healthy disrespect for the status quo.”

“I am a chief executive. I'm not a consensus builder. I'm a decision maker.”

“My parents told me that I could do anything I wanted to do. This is America.”

“Fiscal responsibility is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It's an American issue.”

“We can't be all things to all people. We have to be specific.”

“You can't lead from behind.”

“The people have a right to know. That's the first principle of a democracy.”