I hope we can get back to what I call the kitchen table. Everyday issues that people are really worried about and focused on.

I think a lot of people think I was born in a blue suit, on the David Brinkley show. And that isn't me. I am much more that kid who grew up in South St. Louis, in a very modest household, with a simple background with parents who didn't get through high school.

We are all so privileged to be citizens of America, and we all need to be engaged.

I grew up in the '50s and '60s when Jack Kennedy was president. We would watch him on television. And our teachers always talked about the good things public servants could do. I thought maybe that's something I should do. So when I got out of law school, my wife, Jane, and I became precinct captains.

Eventually I foresee voting on the Internet, which will lead to much more direct democracy.

I led the fight for the Clinton health care plan in 1994. We failed. I learned from that experience. What I learned is you can't pass a complicated government-run plan.

Those who have prospered and profited from life's lottery have a moral obligation to share their good fortune.