For the first time in our history, ideology and theology hold a monopoly of power in Washington.

What's right and good doesn't come naturally. You have to stand up and fight for it - as if the cause depends on you, because it does.

The Supreme Court consistently favors organized money and the political privileges of the corporate class. We have a Senate that is more responsive to affluent constituents than to middle-class constituents, while the opinions of constituents in the bottom third of income distribution have no apparent effect at all on the Senate's roll call votes.

Watching the debate this afternoon it was apparent they loved term limits in the House - as Brutus loved Caesar.

It's very difficult to measure the impact on policy of any investigative journalism. You hope it matters to let a little more truth loose in the world, but you can't always be sure it does. You do it because there's a story to be told. I can tell you that the job of trying to tell the truth about people whose job it is to hide the truth is about as complicated and difficult as trying to hide it in the first place.

Journalism's been a continuing course in adult education for me.

If the watchdog doesn't bark, how do you know there's a burglar in the basement? And the press is supposed to be a watchdog.