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I'm a politician, and as you know, politicians are rarely very funny.

I don't do politics. I just like to laugh.

I hope you realize, in a democracy, laughter is assent.

American people have the ability to laugh at themselves. It is one of the things that makes this country the great country that it is.

Solemnity in politicians is not only tiresome but may even mask those twin sins - self-righteousness and intolerance - for the opinions of others. If I couldn't laugh, I couldn't live, especially in politics.

I think there should be laughs in everything. Sometimes, it's a slammed door, a pie in the face or just a recognition of our frailties.

I think that humor has become a principle means of communication among Americans about politics.

I don't hear a lot about elected officials that are men talking about whether they smile a lot. My dad was in elected office my entire life. I don't remember many smiles, and nobody commented about it. He was serious about his job, and so am I.

Laughter is, after speech, the chief thing that holds society together.

There's plenty of room for humor in politics, God knows, but it's a serious business.