Osama bin Laden is gone. The war in Iraq is over. Afghanistan is coming to a close.

Whether you agree or disagree with privatization, two things are obvious. First, taxpayers need to be asking more and better questions before handing over control of critical public assets like a highway, an airport, or a parking meter concession. And second, Uncle Sam is being played for a sucker.

When we engage in the critical decisions about our nation's future budgets, I want progressive voices at the table to argue that we must protect the most vulnerable in our society and demand fairness in budget cuts.

I have always been critical and skeptical of fast-tracking. It is a take-it-or-leave-it approach to trade agreements which really deals members of Congress and their concerns out of the picture.

I think that money spoils most things, once it becomes the primary motivating force.

The only thing money gives you is the freedom of not worrying about money.

I think money, power, fame changes people a lot.

Sure, I travel. I went to Washington to negotiate a $1 billion prepayment to Mexico on its oil revenues to help it out of its financial crisis.