There's a nastiness out there that wants to harm me with words. These are my enemies - the ideologues, the populists, the columnists who don't like the fact that I take them on toe-to-toe. What I try to do is tell the truth. It's not the coin of the realm in politics.

There's enormous energy required to carry grudges - enormous energy! And I'm getting too old to expend my energy that way, cause I think every person has a limited amount of energy. So I have given up all grudges.

You punch me, I punch back. I do not believe it's good for one's self-respect to be a punching bag.

I intend to vote for President George W. Bush in the next election, because in my view, he is best able to wage the war against international terrorism.

The Chinese describe themselves as political refugees. Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child. But if we accept them as bona fide political refugees for that reason, doesn't it follow that people living in countries where abortion is illegal (such as Ireland and Poland) should also receive political asylum? After all, their country's policy is forcing them to give birth to unwanted children.

There was always a love-hate relationship with New York in the rest of the country, but I made them feel more love than hate.

Whenever I leave Manhattan, I get the bends!