In a democracy, hostage tactics are the last resort for those who can’t otherwise win their fights through elections, can’t win their fights in Congress, can’t win their fights for the Presidency, and can’t win their fights in Courts. For this right-wing minority, hostage-taking is all they have left – a last gasp of those who cannot cope with the realities of our democracy.

My parents and I were all afraid of being poor - really poor.

We need to align the incentives so that colleges have an incentive to keep down their costs... to graduate students on time with degrees in areas where they're going to be able to get jobs and going to be able to pay back those loans.

The need for comprehensive reform must not blind us to the urgency of addressing the massive debt that's already crushing our young people.

Barack Obama heard the American people.

There's a limit here. This is how far we go and we don't go further. And I also think by talking about [gifts] it that way, it avoids the unspoken idea that money is the expression of love.

I want to be blunt: We should not be fighting about equal pay for equal work, and access to birth control, in 2012. These issues were resolved years ago - until the Republicans brought them back.