I think that we have a responsibility to make certain that we are fiscally responsible in order to assure, frankly, future generations don't have to pay our bills.

Illinois has less than a 12 percent black population and I won with 55 percent of the vote.

It's hard to be the first. It's almost as if I'm subject to a different level of inspection.

There are no permanent friends or permanent enemies, just permanent interests.

Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.

And frankly, being a woman I think gives me a slightly different take on a lot of the issues and on a lot of the solutions to the problems we face.

Magic lies in challenging what seems impossible.