Our nation's infrastructure needs are tremendous, and they're growing.

Beyond highways and roads, we need more money for mass transit, intercity passenger rail and freight rail. We have a long way to go to bridge the funding gaps.

Communities and neighborhoods are affected. Idling trains, traffic backups, grade crossing accidents and other safety issues all affect the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

I'm leaving because I want to spend more time with my wife in Chicago.

In a democracy, you can be right and still lose power.

Sen. Obama comes from the old Chicago machine politics and has never taken on the special interests in his party on a major issue ever.

Democracy is more than a ballot box.

It was not my wish to come into politics. I was not a public person; I preferred to spend my birthdays with family and friends. But the 2008 elections were fraudulent, so I decided to finance the opposition to make them stronger.