Politician

The concept of government of, by, and for the people isn't just a platitude. It's the moral construction of our nation. It's in our bones.

Since 1993, I have had the rich satisfaction of knowing and working with many openly gay and lesbian Americans, and I have come to realize that 'gay' is an artificial category when it comes to measuring a man or woman's on-the-job performance or commitment to shared goals. It says little about the person.

An educated man is thoroughly inoculated against humbug, thinks for himself and tries to give his thoughts, in speech or on paper, some style.

I consider abortion to be a deeply personal and intimate issue for women and I don't believe male legislators should even vote on the issue.

America's Founders were committed to a wide-open public forum in which all voices and perspectives could have a chance of being heard.

Any education that matters is liberal. All the saving truths, all the healing graces that distinguish a good education from a bad one or a full education from a half empty one are contained in that word.

I served three terms in the U.S. Senate and was co-chairman of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in 2010. So I know a bit about how Washington operates, and I have had plenty of experience doing the work of running for office.

I am living proof that youth possess a unique capacity to grow and change - that the child who seems hopeless today could go on to change the world.

It was not until my 20s that I began to creep toward maturity.

My parole officer always believed in my capacity for redemption, even when my actions did not inspire confidence.

Restoring and maintaining a great nation's fiscal health will require not just sound arguments and an engaged public but something more. It will require an electoral system that encourages our representatives to place the long-term interests of the public ahead of parochial special interests.

If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters.

Stemming the tide of special interest campaign cash - and restoring fiscal responsibility in Congress - is no easy task. But there is one place where concerned citizens in both parties can begin: Changing the source of money that funds all campaigns.

If you're in the game long enough, you're going to be the toast of the town one day, and the next day you'll be toast.

The person you are at 13 or 17 is not the person you are at 30, 40, or 50. Everyone old enough to look back on his or her teenage years knows this.

He has to do the heavy lifting and the windows and the wash, and also protect the president.