Braley Quotes & Sayings

The Working Song
by Breton Braley

Oh, we're sick to death of the style of song
That's only a sort of a simpering song,
A kissy song and a sissy song
Or a weepy, creepy, whimpering song.
So give us a lift of a lusty song,
A boisterous, bubbling, boiling song,
Or a smashing song and a dashing song,
Oh, give us the tang of a toiling song,
The chanty loud of the working crowd,
The thunderous thrall of a toiling song!

Ay, sing us a joyous daring song,
Not a moaning, groaning, fretting song,
But a ringing song, and a swinging song,
A rigorous, vigorous, sweating song.
We have had enough of the gypsy song,
Which is only a lazy, shirking song,
So toughen your throat to a rougher note
And give us the tune of a working song,
A tune of strife and the joy of life,
The beat and throb of a working song! — Berton Braley

The Populist Caucus is the only caucus in Congress devoted solely to addressing middle class economic issues. We formed the caucus because the founding members felt like there wasn't enough focus on middle class issues in Washington, and we're going to keep it focused on middle class issues. — Bruce Braley

The future belongs to him that does and dares. — Berton Braley

Waiting for a long-term solution to immigration reform will not make Americans safer. — Bruce Braley

When programming was my hobby, I thought that programming would be the perfect job. Now I program for a living and build boats for a hobby. Guess what I think would be the perfect job — Ron Porter

I went to school, but they didn't give you too much schooling because just as soon as you was big enough, you get to working in the fields. I guess I was a big boy for my age. — Muddy Waters

Increasing the minimum wagewill put billions annually into the Social Security trust fund. — Bruce Braley

Success"

If you want a thing bad enough
To go out and fight for it,
Work day and night for it,
Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it

If only desire of it
Makes you quite mad enough
Never to tire of it,
Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it

If life seems all empty and useless without it
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,

If gladly you'll sweat for it,
Fret for it,
Plan for it,
Lose all your terror of God or man for it,

If you'll simply go after that thing that you want.
With all your capacity,
Strength and sagacity,
Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,

If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt,
Nor sickness nor pain
Of body or brain
Can turn you away from the thing that you want,

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
You'll get it! — Berton Braley

I have represented farmers in federal court during the Iowa farm crisis. A farmer from Butler County. I don't think Sen. Grassley had that life experience. It's just a simple difference of who we are and where we've come from. — Bruce Braley

That's why I loved being with you. We could do the simplest things, like toss starfish into the ocean and share a burger and talk and even then I knew that I was fortunate. Because you were the first guy who wasn't constantly trying to impress me. You accepted who you were, but more than that, you accepted me for me. And nothing else mattered
not my family or your family or anyone else in the world. It was just us. — Nicholas Sparks

The best verse hasn't been rhymed yet, The best house hasn't been planned, The highest peak hasn't been climbed yet, The mightiest rivers aren't spanned; Don't worry and fret, faint-hearted, The chances have just begun For the best jobs haven't been started, The best work hasn't been done. — Berton Braley

A preposition is a word You mustn't end a sentence with! — Berton Braley

Give a boy a dog and you've furnished him a playmate. — Berton Braley

By the time I land in Iowa, I feel like my mind is more open to the reality of being back home and focusing on the problems of the people in my district. — Bruce Braley

There are too many people trying to take opportunity from people in the middle class. — Bruce Braley

I was floating on a river of calm, a leaf on a current. — Laura Whitcomb

I honestly believe that sound commercialism is the best test of true value in art. People work hard for their money and if they won't part with it for your product the chances are that your product hasn't sufficient value. An artist or writer hasn't any monopoly ... If the public response to his artistry is lacking, he'd do well to spend more time analyzing what's the matter with his work, and less time figuring what's the matter with the public. — Berton Braley

A populist is someone who fights for common sense economic policies that sustain and expand the middle class. — Bruce Braley

Iowans are feeling the pinch of a big federal government, and elected officials like Bruce Braley keep championing the over reaching bureaucracy. Iowans know what is best for Iowa more than Washington politicians and bureaucrats do. — Joni Ernst

Being a farmer is a great qualification to have to serve in the United States Congress. — Bruce Braley

The Populist Caucus aims to bring people together around middle class issues, so we can tolerate a little difference of opinion. — Bruce Braley

Take courage, man, be brave and drive ahead, start where you stand. — Berton Braley

Stalin's henchman Molotov, 96, died old and in bed, a privilege he helped to deny to millions. — George Will

Snobbery is the pride of those who are not sure of their position. — Berton Braley

Men crawl in slime and wallow in the mud;
The Realist groans: "All life is mud ans slime!"
Men lie and steal and shed each other's blood;
And Realism sees but blood and crime.
Yet Right is just as real as Wrong,
The mountain peak is real as the ooze,
A curse is no more real than a song;
Among realities we need but choose.
The cynic sees the failure of To-day,
The Prophet cries the triumph of To-morrow,
Knowing the spirit in our clogging clay
That masters doubt, disaster, loss and sorrow.
Failure is but a passing weariness,
There is no final answer but Success. — Berton Braley

We all say things that we later regret. — Bruce Braley

Back of the job-the dreamer Who's making the dream come true! — Berton Braley

I recently had the opportunity to vote to give the president limited authority to begin strikes against terrorists in Iraq and Syria. — Bruce Braley

Back of the beating hammer By which the steel is wrought, Back of the workshop's clamor The seeker may find the thought. — Berton Braley

In our early youth we sit before the life that lies ahead of us like children sitting before the curtain in a theatre, in happy and tense anticipation of whatever is going to appear. Luckily we do not know what really will appear. — Arthur Schopenhauer