Andrew Cuomo on the coronavirus: "In many ways fear is more dangerous than the virus"

As this has gone on, we said we are fighting a war on two fronts: We're fighting the virus and we're fighting fear... In many ways fear is more dangerous than the virus.

~ Governor Andrew Cuomo, press conference in Albany, 3:54 mark, March 19, 2020

Reshma Kapadia falsely claims government was slow to respond to unwinding credit bubble in 2007

It took a while before Congress, the Federal Reserve, and global policy makers were able to band together during the financial crisis to heal the global economy and set the foundation for an 11-year bull market.

~ Reshma Kapadia, "How to Ease the Crisis: A Checklist," Barron's, March 14, 2020

Doris Kearns-Goodwin on Abraham Lincoln's racial bigotry

Armies of scholars, meticulously investigating every aspect of [Lincoln's] life, have failed to find a single act of racial bigotry on his part.

~ Doris Kearns-Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, p. 207

Lyndon B. Johnson on government waste

I believe the Congress and the American people approve my goals of economy and efficiency. I believe they are as opposed to waste as I am. We can and will eliminate it.

~ President Lyndon B. Johnson, speech to Congress in 1965

Abraham Lincoln on invading the South

[W]e denounce the lawless invasion by armed force of the soil of any State or Territory, no matter what pretext, as among the gravest of crimes.

~ Abraham Lincoln, inaugural address, March 4, 1861

(Lincoln's pledge was broken within a month.)

Credo - Lincoln
1960-1961

Bernard Madoff on financial safeguards

In today's regulatory environment, it's virtually impossible to violate rules.

~ Bernard Madoff, money manager, October 20, 2007

(About a year later, Madoff—who once headed the Nasdaq Stock Market—told investigators he had cost his investors $50 billion in an alleged Ponzi scheme.)

Suzie Orman on Jim Cramer's advice

People might want to listen to Mr. Cramer because he has not been wrong.

~ Suzie Orman, as appeared on CNBC, 9:38 AM ET, January 2, 2009

George W. Bush on bailouts (2008)

I don't think the government ought to be involved in bailing out companies.

~ President George W. Bush, July 15, 2008

Henry Paulson on the $700 billion financial bailout and expanded powers at Treasury

I'm not looking for extraordinary power.

~ Henry Paulson, Treasury Secretary, House Panel Q & A, September 24, 2008

Bethany McLean on Henry Paulson's intention not to go into politics

[Henry] Paulson says that he "wouldn't put a time limit" on his tenure at Goldman [Sachs], and that he has no intention of following in the Washington-bound footsteps of former Goldman CEOs like Bob Rubin, Steve Friedman, and [Jon] Corzine.

~ Bethany McLean, "Inside The Money Machine," Fortune, September 6, 2004

(Just to clarify, this was Paulson's lie, not McLean's.)

George H.W. Bush's famous campaign pledge

Read my lips: No new taxes.

George H.W. Bush, 1988

LBJ on entry into the Vietnam War

We are not about to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves.

~ Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1964

FDR on entry into World War II

I have said this before, but I shall say it again and again: Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars.

~ Franklin D. Roosevelt, shortly before the election of 1940