--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I came to Washington understanding what…" description: "\"I came to Washington understanding what the Senate is capable of accomplishing and knowing that I'd have myriad opportunities as a senator to get thing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e80/tina-smith-12982_capable_i-came-to-washington-understanding-what_2878531.jpg" --- # I came to Washington understanding what the Senate is… ![“I came to Washington understanding what the Senate is capable of accomplishing and knowing that I'd have myriad opportunities as a senator to get things done.” quote by Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e80/tina-smith-12982_capable_i-came-to-washington-understanding-what_2878531.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e80/tina-smith-12982_capable_i-came-to-washington-understanding-what_2878531.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e80/tina-smith-12982_capable_i-came-to-washington-understanding-what_2878531.jpg) > “I came to Washington understanding what the Senate is capable of accomplishing and knowing that I'd have myriad opportunities as a senator to get things done.” [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding the Senate’s power reveals many chances to enact change as a lawmaker. **In simple terms:** Senate work offers many chances to make change. Key Takeaway Leverage Senate influence wisely. Themes politics leadership policy opportunity Mood optimistic strategic Type political motivational When to use this quote - campaign planning - legislative drafting - constituent outreach Key Concepts Legislative process public service Questions to Reflect On - What opportunities can you create in your role? - How do you navigate Senate constraints? A Different Perspective Complex bureaucracy can limit swift action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Opportunities Senator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunities-senator-3976034/) [Senate Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate-capable-3976035/) [Senator Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senator-things-3976038/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Understanding Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding-senate-3976036/) [Washington Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-understanding-3976037/) ## Related quotes > [There's a learning curve to understanding how the Senate operates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-strange/there-s-a-learning-curve-to-understanding-how-the-senate-operates/) [Luther Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-strange/) > [Playing is much, much harder than composing in my opinion, becoming a player. If you want to be a player for all your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/playing-is-much-much-harder-than-composing-in-my-opinion-becoming-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [A man, as a man, could arrive at all the dignity that a man was capable of obtaining or receiving; but it needed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor/a-man-as-a-man-could-arrive-at-all-the-dignity-that-a-man-was-capable/) [John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor/) > [I'm attracted to the garden, without a doubt, but I always try and image the wolf that's there, too. And that wolf would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/i-m-attracted-to-the-garden-without-a-doubt-but-i-always-try-and/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [“If you not yet try How to know you can or not?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sopharat/if-you-not-yet-try-how-to-know-you-can-or-not/) [Sopharat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sopharat/) > [The mathematical facts worthy of being studied are those which, by their analogy with other facts, are capable of leading us to the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/the-mathematical-facts-worthy-of-being-studied-are-those-which-by/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Everybody is different. Some writers can write reams of great books and then J. D. Salinger wrote just a few. Beethoven wrote nine symphonies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/everybody-is-different-some-writers-can-write-reams-of-great-books/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) ## More by Tina Smith > [I'll never have the seniority of lions of the Senate who've been in office for decades. What I do have is a lifetime of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-ll-never-have-the-seniority-of-lions-of-the-senate-who-ve-been-in/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [Take what women say seriously. That hasn't always happened in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/take-what-women-say-seriously-that-hasn-t-always-happened-in-this/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [I'm wary when legislators say the solution to school shootings is mental health care, because it suggests that people who are mentally ill are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-m-wary-when-legislators-say-the-solution-to-school-shootings-is/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [I was appointed to the Senate, and it has been my job to serve in the Senate and then to earn the vote of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-was-appointed-to-the-senate-and-it-has-been-my-job-to-serve-in-the/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [Being lieutenant governor is sort of like being invited into everyone's living room, and you just get an understanding of the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/being-lieutenant-governor-is-sort-of-like-being-invited-into-everyone/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [Do not underestimate me. I believe that as a woman, a progressive, and a Minnesotan, I have a lot to contribute and I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/do-not-underestimate-me-i-believe-that-as-a-woman-a-progressive-and-a/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [I will be my own kind of senator using my own best judgment and my own experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-will-be-my-own-kind-of-senator-using-my-own-best-judgment-and-my/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [We need to prioritize ending the influence of corporate special interests and secret money on politicians by limiting the amount of money they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/we-need-to-prioritize-ending-the-influence-of-corporate-special/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [Coming to serve in the Senate and also running for the Senate in a short time period is not for the faint of heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/coming-to-serve-in-the-senate-and-also-running-for-the-senate-in-a/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [I want to go places where there are really well-meaning people doing work that is interesting and seems to really matter and where everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-want-to-go-places-where-there-are-really-well-meaning-people-doing/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [I've learned in my life that I have to focus on the things that I can control and what I can control is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-ve-learned-in-my-life-that-i-have-to-focus-on-the-things-that-i-can/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [I think that women are often underestimated - our suggestions, our advice, our leadership style. I think one of the reasons that that happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-think-that-women-are-often-underestimated-our-suggestions-our/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [I've always found that if you listen to people you can find common ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-ve-always-found-that-if-you-listen-to-people-you-can-find-common/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [I had always heard that Mitch McConnell was a master legislator and a true loyalist to this institution. But in the 18 months I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-had-always-heard-that-mitch-mcconnell-was-a-master-legislator-and-a/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [When I was a kid, I wanted to be a hairdresser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/when-i-was-a-kid-i-wanted-to-be-a-hairdresser/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) [Explore all 52 Tina Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) ## More Capable quotes > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [Everybody is different. Some writers can write reams of great books and then J. D. Salinger wrote just a few. Beethoven wrote nine symphonies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/everybody-is-different-some-writers-can-write-reams-of-great-books/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [The mathematical facts worthy of being studied are those which, by their analogy with other facts, are capable of leading us to the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/the-mathematical-facts-worthy-of-being-studied-are-those-which-by/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“If you not yet try How to know you can or not?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sopharat/if-you-not-yet-try-how-to-know-you-can-or-not/) [Sopharat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sopharat/) > [I'm attracted to the garden, without a doubt, but I always try and image the wolf that's there, too. And that wolf would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/i-m-attracted-to-the-garden-without-a-doubt-but-i-always-try-and/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [A man, as a man, could arrive at all the dignity that a man was capable of obtaining or receiving; but it needed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor/a-man-as-a-man-could-arrive-at-all-the-dignity-that-a-man-was-capable/) [John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor/) > [Playing is much, much harder than composing in my opinion, becoming a player. If you want to be a player for all your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/playing-is-much-much-harder-than-composing-in-my-opinion-becoming-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [How difficult the task to quench the fire and the pride of private ambition, and to sacrifice ourselves and all our hopes and expectations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/how-difficult-the-task-to-quench-the-fire-and-the-pride-of-private/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) [Browse all 3,861 Capable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I came to Washington understanding what the Senate is capable of accomplishing and knowing that I'd have myriad opportunities as a senator to get things done.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tina Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-came-to-washington-understanding-what-the-senate-is-capable-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capable" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-came-to-washington-understanding-what-the-senate-is-capable-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e80/tina-smith-12982_capable_i-came-to-washington-understanding-what_2878531.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e80/tina-smith-12982_capable_i-came-to-washington-understanding-what_2878531.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e80/tina-smith-12982_capable_i-came-to-washington-understanding-what_2878531.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I came to Washington understanding what the Senate is capable of accomplishing and knowing that I'd have…” — Tina Smith", "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": "Tina Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I came to Washington understanding what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-came-to-washington-understanding-what-the-senate-is-capable-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/i-came-to-washington-understanding-what-the-senate-is-capable-of/#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 } } ] } ```