“Republicans and Democrats have used accounting gimmicks and competing government analyses to deceive the public into believing that 2 + 2 = 6. If our leaders cannot agree on the numbers, if 'facts' are fictional, how can they possibly have a substantive debate on solutions?”
— J. C. Watts
Government
“In my wildest imagination, I never thought that the fifth of six children born to Helen and Buddy Watts - in a poor black neighborhood, in the poor rural community of Eufaula, Oklahoma - would someday be called Congressman.”
— J. C. Watts
Imagination
“I never got into politics for it to be a career. It doesn't take a lot of strength to hang on. It takes a lot of strength to let go.”
— J. C. Watts
Politics
“Individual responsibility, hard work, paying attention in school, faith, family all these things are important.”
— J. C. Watts
Faith
“The strength of America is not in Washington.”
— J. C. Watts
Strength
“In addition, there is one title I cherish a great deal more than Congressman and that is the title of... Dad.”
— J. C. Watts
Dad
“I think that anybody that stays in school, gets good grades, pays the price, I think we are wealthy enough in the public and the private sector in America to make sure that every child in America that wants to continue their education, they should be able to do that.”
— J. C. Watts
Education
“In 1989 when I switched from Democrat to Republican, with God as my witness, not one thing changed about what I believed about one man and one woman in a marriage or about diversity of color. That's a good thing.”
— J. C. Watts
Marriage
“My work in the House of Representatives, at this time in my life, is completed. It is time to return home.”
— J. C. Watts
Home
“I would love to be associated with some sports organization. I was a journalism major. That's kind of intriguing, to do something in the political-commentary arena.”
— J. C. Watts
Sports
“I never got into politics for it to be a career.”
— J. C. Watts
Politics
“I think in politics, in Congress, you often do things that are Republican, or you do things because you're a Democrat. Sometimes that's good, obviously, and sometimes that's obviously bad. But in the news business, there's no such thing as Republican or Democratic news. News is news.”
— J. C. Watts
Business
“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.”
— J. C. Watts
History
“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.”
— J. C. Watts
Politics
“There's a whole lot more to the African-American community than entertainment and sports.”
— J. C. Watts
Sports
“I have often said one of the reasons more blacks don't support Republicans is because they don't trust the GOP establishment.”
— J. C. Watts
Trust
“We need to remember that politics is all about people, not programs. We shouldn't want to take the humanness out of the political arena.”
— J. C. Watts
Politics
“It doesn't take a lot of strength to hang on. It takes a lot of strength to let go.”
— J. C. Watts
Strength
“The establishment wonders why we can't get more of the black vote. It's because it's not doing the things necessary to establish a deeper relationship with the black community. Most black people don't think alike. Most black people just vote alike.”
— J. C. Watts
Relationship
“Good policy makes good politics and what I've done has been good politics.”
— J. C. Watts
Politics