Otto, man

Otto von Bismarck, who grew up a quick bike ride from where I'm staying at the moment, once said "Laws are like sausages: if you want to respect them, you shouldn't watch them being made."

I've never been involved in legislation, but there's a sausagemaker in the bottom of this building and he sure is right.

He was a wellspring of great quotes, Bismarck. Here are some more, courtesy of WikiQuote:

I have seen three emperors in their nakedness, and the sight was not inspiring.

Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.

Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.

People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.

Politics is the art of the possible.
(Olof Palme started a book with that phrase.)

What we learn from history is that we do not learn from history.

The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia.

There are heaps more. Go look. The last one reminds me of someone saying "we have saying een my country. It is better to have loved and lost than to engage in a full-scale war against Russia in the wintertime." I can't remember where or who, though.