Topical Quote: When the facts change, I change too: Churchill; Keynes; Samuelson

[Garson O'Toole]

Mitt Romney is in the news for attributing a quotation to Winston
Churchill. Here is an excerpt from an MSNBC article:

<Begin excerpt>
"In the private sector, if you don't change your view when the facts
change, well you'll get fired for being stubborn and stupid." Romney
said. "Winston Churchill said, 'When the facts change, I change too,
Madam'"
<End excerpt>

http://goo.gl/yQAfq

Thanks to Barry Popik for mentioning this news story to me. The Quote
Investigator website has an article about this saying which has been
attached to famed economist John Maynard Keynes for decades. The
earliest instance I found was said in 1970 by Nobel laureate Paul
Samuelson.

http://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/07/22/keynes-change-mind/

In a quick search the earliest cite I found for Churchill was dated 1999.

Cite: 1999 September 18, Florida Times-Union, Editorial, Term Limits:
Fowler's dilemma, Section Metro, Page B-6, Jacksonville, Florida.
(NewsBank)

<Begin excerpt>
Winston Churchill once said to a woman berating him for changing his
position, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do,
madam?"
<End excerpt>

Garson

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