When I was first elected I was puzzled why they were holding events in my honor as a mere freshman. I asked myself, why is a federal entity so involved in political activity?

You don't get real reform by pandering to every special interest. With cap and trade we wound up with a bill that didn't accomplish much, was enormously complicated and expensive.

I find it is increasingly difficult to spend the time I need with my family and at the same time do the job that needs to be done.

Governing isn't as easy as you think. Many of you have taken pledges that are contradictory - to balance the budget and cut taxes, for example. You must be honest about the numbers, since our annual deficit now exceeds all discretionary spending combined.

It's all a sham: I have seen, and I know firsthand, indeed from my own pen, how the organized Right has sabotaged not only journalism but also democracy and truth.

Since most American students cannot simply pay their full tuition out of pocket, financing a college education often takes the form of loans, both private and from the government.

When I was a youngster, I and people like us, who are educated and progressive-minded, did not take interest in politics. But then I realised that half of the parliament is being run by politicians with criminal records.

A government decision that slashes spending at the wrong time and sends a weak economy into a tailspin can be just as undisciplined as one that unleashes a wasteful spending spree in an overheated environment.