What is Power?

"You know, power is an interesting thing. I used to think political power was going to a political dinner. And then I thought political power was helping to put on a political dinner. And then I thought it was being invited to stay at the candidate's hotel in convention city. And then I used to stand in the hall outside of Sam Rayburn's suite at the political convention, and I thought that was something. And then I got to go into the living room of the candidate's suite, and I thought that was something. And then I found out there that all the decisions were made in the back in the bedroom. And finally, I was invited in the bedroom with the last eight or ten fellas, and then I knew I was on the inside -until I finally learned that they stepped into the john. In the end, just me and Jimmy Carter and Hamilton Jordan made the final decision in the john."

Robert Strauss
1972-1977 - Democratic National Committee Chairman,
1980 - Chairman of Jimmy Carter's Re-election Campaign