My progressive ideals are screaming in [Straight to the Heart: Political Cantos] book; what I believe. There is no muddying-up because of debate. You know exactly where I stand, because I put it down in the written word.

In the Senate race I went for some candidate endorsement meetings and three people there asked me: Do you go to a therapist? Because they could not believe that with the beating I took in the mayor's race I could still come in there cracking jokes and talking about the issues!

People have always thought I was "on" something. After a while I began to think they knew something I didn't know! But I don't know, I just love living. And I love doing what I do.

We need to consider that only a small amount of the public vote for the mayor of a city. It's because they are disgusted and don't trust the government.

I cannot sell my soul in order to participate with Nancy Pelosi or Carole Migden or any of them. I can't do it.

The last thing I would ever do though is actively work against another woman.

I think the book [Straight to the Heart: Political Cantos] has meaning for any large city with urban problems. There are political machines in a lot of large cities, and everywhere the goals of society get lost.