William M. Daley

“There are some who want to move us back to the days when we were protectionists and keep all goods off our shores.”

“As a pro-business Democrat, I understand the obligations of publicly traded companies to maximize returns to shareholders.”

“You can use all the flowery words in the dictionary, but sooner or later, you have to let people know where you stand.”

“Illinois needs a real strategy for job creation that grows the economy over the long term with high-wage jobs that rebuild the middle class.”

“The Microsoft actions announced today are exactly the kinds of industry initiatives we need. Microsoft is using its resources to bring real privacy protection to Internet users by creating incentives for more websites to provide strong privacy protection.”

“While imperfect, the electoral college has generally served the republic well. It forces candidates to campaign in a variety of closely contested races, where political debate is typically robust.”

“Obviously in a campaign, people say lots of things that they find, when they get in the office, life's a little different.”

“Trade is an integral part of our foreign policy.”

“The chief of staff has to reflect and sometimes complement the strengths of the president he serves.”

“Now that Donald Trump has won the presidency despite losing the popular vote, there's a growing cry to rethink, or even abolish, the electoral college. This would be a mistake.”

“Some people would like the world to go back to the 1950s.”

“I got through at Ignatius. I did OK, not great in any of my academic endeavors.”

“When a state offers your company an attractive package of incentives to relocate, you have to look at it, and if it significantly boosts your bottom line, you have to take it or answer to your investors.”

“It's been proven in Washington: It's very hard to negotiate and try to get a deal done in public.”

“Politics is all about relationships, people. A lot of it's emotional. It's not rocket science.”

“There are 14 Cabinet spots, and God only knows how many hundreds of people want them.”

“I was Al Gore's campaign chairman in 2000, when he won a half-million more votes than George W. Bush but lost the presidency.”

“Most Republicans and the business community extol the virtues of trade, depicting it as an engine of economic progress, while most Democrats and unions attack the exportation of American jobs, claiming that trade agreements are destroying our economy.”

“There's a growing sense among large corporations that to solve global problems like climate change, the responsibility can't fall just on the government. The business community has to be a big piece of that.”

“Whether McCain actively sought Palin in 2008 or passively yielded to aides' pressure, he set a new standard for GOP candidates who rely on lots of sizzle and little substance.”