Careerism: the self-centered philosophy of governing to win the next election above all else.

All change starts with a distant rumble at the grassroots level.

The vast amount of waste and sheer stupidity in government - from the Pentagon to the Food and Drug Administration - could fill committee agendas for years.

An easily accessible and transparent database of contract information will bring sunshine into the confusing and sometimes shadowy practice of government contracting.

One poll showed that Americans have a higher opinion of witches, the IRS and hemorrhoids than Congress

The longer a politician bears power, the more he is controlled by that power.

When I came to Washington, I was troubled to observe so many similarities between the behaviors of drug-addicted patients and my political colleagues. In Washington power is like morphine.

Everybody is gonna die from something. And so the deal is how to use each day to move things forward for both you and the people you love and the country you love.

The earmark favor factory needs to be boarded up and demolished, not turned over to new management that may or may not have a better eye for earmarks with 'merit.'

I believe keeping our promises should be our highest priority and that means saving Social Security and Medicare while preserving the American dream for our children and grandchildren.

Charity requires sacrifice, and members of Congress could set a good example of charity by giving up their pay increase.

American socialism had lost momentum even before the war. (Socialist leader Norman Thomas received 885, 000 votes in his 1932 run for the presidency, but only 187, 500 in 1936.)

People's dreams are made out of what they do all day. The same way a dog that runs after rabbits will dream of rabbits. It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.

If I do not give a friend "The benefit of the doubt," but put the worst construction instead of the best on what is said or done, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

Read about the history of magic.

Every once in a while your world stands still... There are certain friendships that are so important they leave a mark on you long after the person is gone.

Grandma said [...] when you come on something that is good, first thing to do is share it with whoever you can find; that way, the good spreads out to where no telling it will go.

I was a little nerdy, but I got along with everybody. I had fun at school - skateboarding, surfing, getting kicked out of class for making too much noise.

I never thought I'd be investigating global warming. I believe it's real and that saving the planet is good.

Realizing that life is precious the natural tendency is to trample on it, like laughing at a funeral.

From an egotistical point of view, I'm always interested in roles that push me as a person. I'm interested in humans as animals and as products of society.