Politics is social work with power.

America is not a melting pot. It is a sizzling cauldron.

I'm so proud of Maryland's firefighters, risking their lives to protect others, but we need to protect our protectors with the best equipment training and resources

Family responsibility, yes, and always. Family bankruptcy due to the cruel rules of government, no.

I am emphatically against the privatization of Social Security. It is going to hurt millions of American women, American families and ultimately the whole country

Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make change.

We work on macro issues and macaroni and cheese issues. When women are in the halls of power, our national debate reflects the needs and dreams of American families.

You cant get more for less. You get what you pay for.

The family is not only a living arrangement. It has always been a symbol of survival.

We, the women of the Senate, with President Obama by our side, will keep fighting - our shoulders square, our lipstick on - because you deserve equal pay for your hard work.

I thought in this country, the best social program was a job. Yet minimum wage jobs arent paying enough to keep families out of poverty

I stood still, vision blurring, and in that moment, I heard my heart break. It was a small, clean sound, like the snapping of a flower's stem.

Whatever you do, let it be lovely.

I'm not really sure which parts of myself are real and which parts are things I've gotten from books.

Play with fire and you WILL get burned.

Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself.

Nothing wise was ever printed upon an apron.

I still, by and large, make low-budget Australian films.

I was on a well-beaten path of actors - what we all call 'the Law and Order route'. I spent two years of auditioning for everything... and then 'The Wire' came up.

If you can't trust people, who can you trust?

The first six years of my career, I got more comments on my weight than on my singing. So I think I became so self-conscious that I started working on it harder.