Jim DeMint

I'm humbled to follow in the footsteps of Ed Feulner, who built the most important conservative institution in the nation. He has been a friend and mentor for years and I am honored to carry on his legacy of fighting for freedom.

The Democrats have essentially decided to move more toward central power, control of just about every aspect of our culture and economy.

Well, we lost a lot of our independence already. We are dependent on China for credit. We are dependent on Middle Eastern countries for energy supplies. And many Americans are dependent on the government for their income, health care, education of their children, food stamps.

It has always been my plan not to serve more than two terms.

I don't think we need to extend unemployment any further without paying for it, and without making some modifications such as turning it into a loan at some point. It then encourages people to go back to work.

I'm not a kingmaker.

I don't have many litmus tests, but this is one: Any candidate who doesn't understand that we need to balance the budget should not be president of the United States.

Republicans are the only one who can carry the banner of what I think millions of Americans are saying.

I believed the only thing that could turn around this government spending and mounting debt would be if the people rose up.

Compromise works well in this world when you have shared goals.

We need comprehensive reform that will make America the best place in the world to invest and do business.

So, the point I'm making is, we are not going to cut spending in Washington if we think it's the job of every congressman and senator is to pave local parking lots and build local sewer plants. These parochial interests are getting in the way of the national interests.

I don't need to be asking for money for local museums and other projects just to make me look good back home.

If we want to secure the best jobs in the future, we must make America the best place in the world to do business.

It doesn't make sense to have to do the wrong thing in order to do the right thing.

California is going to take themselves off the cliff culturally and economically, fiscally. They are going to be at the trough in Washington wanting a bailout.

I don't even like playing a contentious role.

Well, I'm not trying to get rid of the unions, but I am saying that they appear to be an antiquated concept in today's economy.

I know I was a businessman for years, and I stayed up countless nights worrying about having to let one person go. It's a terrible thing to do.

I think people are confused about what the Tea Party is. I mean, they were a broad cross-section of Americans who came together concerned about our debt and our spending. And they're interested in constitutional, limited government. And so they're not one group of people. They're thousands of small groups all over the country.

We have been blessed with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going back to work, and with our Nation acting as a positive force for good in the world.

One of the greatest titles in the world is a parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to have parents to call mom and dad.

I'd like to see a Republican Party that embraces a lot of the libertarian ideas.

We must now make clear to Lebanon that it will not benefit from U.S. assistance and support as long as it harbors this brutal terrorist and murder.

We know from our own history that democratic institutions take decades to mature, and we know from past conflicts that freedom is not free.

I play the guitar a little bit.

I can tell you if you look at the polls, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, they do not think we should increase the debt limit.

You could accuse Republicans of a lot of things, but you could never convict us of being too conservative!

One of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to have parents to call mom and dad.

The hope and change the Democrats had in mind was nothing more than a retread of the failed and discredited socialist policies that have been the enemy of freedom for centuries all over the world. I fear America is teetering towards tyranny.

The message is pretty clear: Americans are sick and tired of the doubletalk coming out of Washington, of us going home and saying we're conservative and then coming up here and voting for 10,000 earmarks. We can't fool America anymore; the media is too good. They're reporting what we're really doing.

Well, one of the most important things for Americans to be reminded of is that a lot of the exceptional nature of our country is founded in Judeo-Christian values that promotes individualism, personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to family, charity.

Something happens to me when someone says, 'You can't.' I'm generally not very competitive; unless someone tells me I can't do something that should be done.

If a person wants to be publicly gay, they should not be teaching in the public schools.

I would support a devolution of power out of Washington for education, health care, transportation.

First of all, no candidate is going to win by catering to the alleged Occupy Wall Street vote.

Today is a celebration of hope for the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people can now take control of their government and their future by creating a society that protects the rights endowed to us by our creator - life, liberty and freedom.

You've got the Democratic Party that now depends on more government spending and actual building the dependence on government in order to increase their political party.

A free and stable Iraq will be a shining light against the shadow of Islamic extremism.

Since the dawn of time, traditional marriage - the union between one man and one woman - has been the building block of civilization, and at no point in our nation's history has that foundation been under more severe attack than now.

I drive Fords, and I've driven American cars all my life, and I want to have a strong American manufacturing sector, especially in automobiles.

I'm getting optimistic. I think, as I talk to people around the country - they seem to get it. They want a return to those things that made America different and great.

Ideas are more powerful than people.

From a policy standpoint, the Judeo-Christian principles are important.

Heritage will remain, first and foremost, a research institute dedicated to impeccable research and data-driven policy analysis.

I like to be a strategic policy guy.

The Tea Party doesn't like politicians.

I went through two pretty dark years being fed up with the system and frustrated with my own party after two disastrous elections in 2006 and 2008.

The debate in the Republican Party needs to be between libertarians and conservatives.

Motorists who want to save money on gas will demand and buy more fuel-efficient vehicles. We should not limit their freedom with more government regulations.

I just want people to know that if they want to change the direction of the country, they can do it, but only if they're active, informed, and engaged.

Forget the consultants, the pundits and the pollsters; good policy is good politics.

The problem we've got now in Washington is that the goals are completely the opposite from each other.