Quotes By Chris Bell

Texas has a lot of challenges, but if I choose to run I will talk about opening democracy to mainstream Texans and not just to a closed circle of entrenched ideologues.

I guess what bothers me so much about what I now see going on in both Washington and in Texas is an effort to keep people from finding out about the mistakes of lawmakers and then when they're uncovered, an effort to fool people and pretend there was nothing wrong.

Ethics in government has always been important to me.

The American people expect public servants to be able to police themselves. But instead of designing a system to enforce ethical conduct, Tom Delay and his cohorts have implemented a self protection system. Obviously, it wasn't good for democracy.

So many people are accustomed to written information that you really have to have a few more bells and whistles in this day and age.

I think that people need to have the courage of their convictions and not be trying to fool people into thinking that they've changed overnight.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Don't store unnecessary data, keep an eye on what's happening, and don't take unnecessary risks.

The American people do not begrudge anyone his or her power until they start abusing it.

I would love it if every talk show let me say whatever I pleased.

I filed the ethics complaint against Tom DeLay not because I'm a Democrat and he's a Republican or even because he drew me out of my congressional seat but because he engaged in corruption to further his plans to disenfranchise voters in Texas.

I have no problem with battling for a position. I have no problem trying to beat somebody out. It's a sport, competition, so I'm used to it.