I think anyone that thought that we were coming in as a bunch of liberal Democrats to deliver more large-scale social programs was nuts. I sure didn't expect it.

What you really remember at the beginning was that you have to throw a budget together. We made some terrible mistakes at the beginning in my own budget that took us at least a year to catch up on.

We are living longer, and we need to live better.

The dog doesn't know the difference between Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, so I have to walk the dog early those days too.

We have to mainstream everybody. No matter what their circumstances when they were growing up. Part of that is knowing that after they're finished with school, everybody in this country gets up and goes to work.

We know the parental support, community support, makes a difference. It's not just the metrics of testing and putting pressure on the schools and on the teachers.

I compensate for big risks by always doing my homework and being well-prepared. I can take on larger risks by reducing the overall risk.