Unruh Noted for Way With Words

Jesse Unruh was never at a loss for words. Here are some of his more memorable ones:

“Money is the mother’s milk of politics.”

“What I say to these people (potential campaign contributors) is, ‘We’ve got a certain amount of business to give. I’ve got a campaign to run. If I have to pick and choose, I’m going to pick my friends.’ ”

“This is my dilemma: If I had stayed away from the lobbyists, I would have been ineffective. If I take their money and give them nothing for it, I am a cheat. If I do their bidding, I could be cheating the public. I find myself rationalizing what I have done. The tragedy is that I may wind up serving the very elements I set out to beat--yet not even know that I have changed.”