I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure.

This quote is saying that if you want to succeed in Washington, it is better to focus on a process of success than on one of failure. This means that it is better to have a plan which is likely to be successful rather than one that is doomed to fail. In other words, it is better to plan for success and work to achieve that goal rather than planning for failure and guaranteeing it.