---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's too many people that paint with a…"
description: "\"There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that we're all corrupt, we're all amoral. … And having these kinds of things happen, whether it's..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/john-ensign-22201_broads_there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with_1079451.jpg"
---

#  There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that…

![“There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that we're all corrupt, we're all amoral. … And having these kinds of things happen, whether it's a Republican or Democratic senator — we certainly have had plenty of Democratic scandals in the past — we need people who are in office who will…” quote by John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/john-ensign-22201_broads_there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with_1079451.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/john-ensign-22201_broads_there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with_1079451.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/john-ensign-22201_broads_there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with_1079451.jpg)

> “There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that we're all corrupt, we're all amoral. … And having these kinds of things happen, whether it's a Republican or Democratic senator — we certainly have had plenty of Democratic scandals in the past — we need people who are in office who will hold themselves to a little higher standard.”

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Broad moral judgments ignore individual integrity; we need leaders who uphold higher ethical standards regardless of party.

**In simple terms:** Avoid sweeping judgments; demand higher standards from officials.

Key Takeaway

Hold leaders accountable.

Themes

politics ethics leadership

Mood

critical concerned

Type

political ethical

When to use this quote

- voting decisions
- campaign volunteering
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

integrity accountability partisanship

Questions to Reflect On

- What standards should elected officials meet?
- How can citizens enforce higher ethics?

A Different Perspective

Political realities often limit ideal standards.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Broads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broads/) [Brushes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brushes/) [Corrupt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupt/) [Corrupt Amoral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupt-amoral-2731842/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Democratic Scandals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-scandals-2731841/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Higher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher/) [Higher standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-standards/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Paint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paint/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Plenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plenty/) [Plenty Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plenty-democratic-2731843/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Scandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandal/) [Scandals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandals/) [Senators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senators/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) [Too many people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-many-people/)

## Related quotes

> [In 30 years of public service, I have had no scandals. I have high ethical standards. I am most proud of my judgement, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/in-30-years-of-public-service-i-have-had-no-scandals-i-have-high/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [Every popular zillion dollar sport has its share of personal scandals around the sport and its leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/every-popular-zillion-dollar-sport-has-its-share-of-personal-scandals/)

[Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/)

> [Today, the news is scandals; that is news, but the many children who don't have food - that's not news. This is grave. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/today-the-news-is-scandals-that-is-news-but-the-many-children-who-don/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Watching 'Scandal' is a fun and exciting guilty pleasure, which is how I imagine most real scandals start out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/watching-scandal-is-a-fun-and-exciting-guilty-pleasure-which-is-how-i/)

[Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/)

> [I love scandals about other people, but scandals about myself don’t interest me. They have not got the charm of novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-love-scandals-about-other-people-but-scandals-about-myself-don-t/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [These White House scandals are not going away anytime soon. People in Kenya are now saying he's 100 percent American. That's how bad it's gotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/these-white-house-scandals-are-not-going-away-anytime-soon-people-in/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [We assume that politicians are without honor. We read their statements trying to crack the code. The scandals of their politics: not so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/we-assume-that-politicians-are-without-honor-we-read-their-statements/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [As so often happens with Washington scandals, it isn't the original scandal that gets people in the most trouble - it's the attempted cover-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petri/as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scandals-it-isn-t-the-original/)

[Tom Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petri/)

> [ I'm a professional at \[drinking\], so that's why I've never had scandals before. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/i-m-a-professional-at-drinking-so-that-s-why-i-ve-never-had-scandals/)

[Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/)

> [ She \[Hillary Clinton\] put her emails on a secret server to cover up her pay-for-play scandals in the State Department. Nothing threatens the integrity… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/she-hillary-clinton-put-her-emails-on-a-secret-server-to-cover-up-her/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [Even if you're an adult you still have secrets and scandals following you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/even-if-you-re-an-adult-you-still-have-secrets-and-scandals-following/)

[Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/)

> [I live in a zoo I run scandals with savages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-ron/i-live-in-a-zoo-i-run-scandals-with-savages/)

[Cam'ron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-ron/)

> [It's incumbent on the President to entertain. Clinton did a better job of it - and was forgiven for the scandals, incidentally. Bush is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-s-incumbent-on-the-president-to-entertain-clinton-did-a-better-job/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [People who don't like scandals shouldn't be in finance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/people-who-don-t-like-scandals-shouldn-t-be-in-finance/)

[Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/)

> [Scandals never stop an administration unless the media wants them to stop an administration, which means that no scandal is ever gonna stop Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/scandals-never-stop-an-administration-unless-the-media-wants-them-to/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

## More by John Ensign

> [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. It ignores the health needs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/it-is-irresponsible-to-set-an-arbitrary-cap-on-how-much-therapy-a/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [If you double count some votes, that makes other votes disenfranchised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/if-you-double-count-some-votes-that-makes-other-votes-disenfranchised/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [In Las Vegas, people know that the odds are stacked against them. On Wall Street, they manipulate the odds while you are playing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/in-las-vegas-people-know-that-the-odds-are-stacked-against-them-on/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [I can honestly say that being a United States Senator has been the honor of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/i-can-honestly-say-that-being-a-united-states-senator-has-been-the/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [Medical liability reform is not a Republican or Democrat issue or even a doctor versus lawyer issue. It is a patient issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/medical-liability-reform-is-not-a-republican-or-democrat-issue-or/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [Often times, the more power and prestige a person achieves, the more arrogant a person can become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/often-times-the-more-power-and-prestige-a-person-achieves-the-more/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [Think about how much it costs to incarcerate someone. Do we want them just sitting in prison, lifting weights, becoming violent and thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/think-about-how-much-it-costs-to-incarcerate-someone-do-we-want-them/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [The act of voting by ordinary Iraqis in the face of extreme danger confirms President Bush's belief that people around the globe, when given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/the-act-of-voting-by-ordinary-iraqis-in-the-face-of-extreme-danger/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [For America's economic future to remain prosperous, we must encourage pro-growth policies so that we continue to be the leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/for-america-s-economic-future-to-remain-prosperous-we-must-encourage/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [Senator Kerry voted to undermine the troops in the field, and that is not only inexcusable, it is reprehensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/senator-kerry-voted-to-undermine-the-troops-in-the-field-and-that-is/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [If you find someone who agrees with you 80 percent of the time that is your friend not your enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/if-you-find-someone-who-agrees-with-you-80-percent-of-the-time-that/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [Until we can fully grasp the extent of corruption and fraud involved in the administration of the Oil-for-Food program, and until the United Nations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/until-we-can-fully-grasp-the-extent-of-corruption-and-fraud-involved/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [The more generous the benefit, the easier you make it to stay on unemployment insurance, and the less incentive there is for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/the-more-generous-the-benefit-the-easier-you-make-it-to-stay-on/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [In 1950, American families sent 1 of 50 of their hard earned dollars to Washington: Today it is 1 in 4.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/in-1950-american-families-sent-1-of-50-of-their-hard-earned-dollars/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

> [The possibility of endangering Nevadans will never happen under my watch. I will do everything I can to protect the safety and welfare of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/the-possibility-of-endangering-nevadans-will-never-happen-under-my/)

[John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

[Explore all 28 John Ensign quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/)

## More Broads quotes

> [Thoroughly understand what it is to understand, and not only will you understand the broad lines of all there is to be understood but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lonergan/thoroughly-understand-what-it-is-to-understand-and-not-only-will-you/)

[Bernard Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lonergan/)

> [We'll walk together holding hands, and kiss in broad daylight, and love each other as much as we want to, and no one will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/we-ll-walk-together-holding-hands-and-kiss-in-broad-daylight-and-love/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

> [There was only the broad square with the scattered dim moons of the street lamps and with the monumental stone arch which receded into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/there-was-only-the-broad-square-with-the-scattered-dim-moons-of-the/)

[Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/)

> [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [The "family" has clearly emerged anew in the late 1970s as a central subject for discussion, debate, research and writing in bothscholarly and popular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/the-family-has-clearly-emerged-anew-in-the-late-1970s-as-a-central/)

[Sheila Kamerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kamerman/)

> [I am formally accountable to the steering board of the PIC, and I meet with nine ambassadors from the PIC every week. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-ashdown/i-am-formally-accountable-to-the-steering-board-of-the-pic-and-i-meet/)

[Paddy Ashdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-ashdown/)

> [If you know the differences between an oak and a poplar, a spruce and a pine, down to the needles... you are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-allen-lawson/if-you-know-the-differences-between-an-oak-and-a-poplar-a-spruce-and/)

[T. Allen Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-allen-lawson/)

> [Particularly the broad masses of the people can be moved only by the power of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/particularly-the-broad-masses-of-the-people-can-be-moved-only-by-the/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/)

[Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/)

> [So the first thing I learned about how to get superior performance is not to buy stocks that are near their lows, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-neil/so-the-first-thing-i-learned-about-how-to-get-superior-performance-is/)

[William O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-neil/)

> [Broad-based, inclusive growth is what we need in America, not more advantages for people at the very top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/broad-based-inclusive-growth-is-what-we-need-in-america-not-more/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [The trees are white with dust, that o'er their sleep Wave their broad curtains in the south-wind's breath, While underneath such leafy tents they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/the-trees-are-white-with-dust-that-o-er-their-sleep-wave-their-broad/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [A top World War II ace once said that fighter pilots fall into two broad categories: those who go out to kill and those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-top-world-war-ii-ace-once-said-that-fighter-pilots-fall-into-two/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Jubilee 2000 is a broad coalition which has moved the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/jubilee-2000-is-a-broad-coalition-which-has-moved-the-earth/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

> [As science is more and more subject to grave misuse as well as to use for human benefit it has also become the scientist's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-science-is-more-and-more-subject-to-grave-misuse-as-well-as-to-use/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 956 Broads quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broads/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that we're all corrupt, we're all amoral. … And having these kinds of things happen, whether it's a Republican or Democratic senator — we certainly have had plenty of Democratic scandals in the past — we need people who are in office who will hold themselves to a little higher standard.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Ensign"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with-a-broad-brush-that-we-re-all/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Broads"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with-a-broad-brush-that-we-re-all/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/john-ensign-22201_broads_there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with_1079451.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/john-ensign-22201_broads_there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with_1079451.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec1/john-ensign-22201_broads_there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with_1079451.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that we're all corrupt, we're all amoral. … And having…” — John Ensign",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Ensign",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There's too many people that paint...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with-a-broad-brush-that-we-re-all/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with-a-broad-brush-that-we-re-all/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
