I study children, and they're my subjects in my studies. They're my colleagues, really, all these little kids. And I owe them.

I don't think child care is ever going to be much of a federal effort. Just like education. Six or 7 percent - that's all I want from the government. Pay that piece of it for poor or developmentally disabled children.

I thought the whole idea of being a conservative was to keep the government from messing around in people's lives. And yet they say the government should be getting into people's families. That's messing pretty heavily where I come from.

The best indicator of quality day care is the kid wants to go there, and doesn't want to go home.

Most mothers and fathers will shop more for a TV set than they will for a child care center for their child.

It's also the environment that determines a considerable part of the growth and development of children.

I'm really not a partisan political person. I remember when I was in Washington they kept trying to get me to say whether I was a Republican or a Democrat. I just said, my politics are children. That's all I know anything about.