One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people.

Just being a Negro doesn't qualify you to understand the race situation any more than being sick makes you an expert on medicine.

I never thought I'd see the day that I would see white folks as frightened, or more so, than black folks was during the civil rights movement when we was in Mississippi.

My belief is, you know, certain things have to be explained that's never been explained.

Dogs are great assets to candidates, and the feeling seems to be engendered that if a dog loves the candidate, he can't be all that bad.

[A politician is] a person skilled in the art of compromise. Usually an elected official who has compromised to get nominated, compromised to get elected, and compromised repeatedly to stay in office.

I tell people, 'If you want to send a message to the White House, call my house.