politics can be an ugly game, and in a national election the stakes get higher while the tactics get lower.

the Republicans love to say that the Democratic Party is ruled by 'special interests.' But when pressed to name these 'special interests,' the usual reply is women, blacks, teachers, and unions. Those are 'special interests' to be proud of - because together they comprise the majority of Americans. What about the 'special interests' that dominate the Republican Party - the oil companies, the banks, the gun lobby, and the apostles of religious intolerance?

I knew what leukemia and lymphoma were, but I had never heard of multiple myeloma.

The polls indicated that I was feisty, that I was tough, that I had a sense of humor, but they weren't quite sure if they liked me and they didn't know whether or not that I was sensitive.

If you don't run, you can't win.

But I do think its necessary to have debates.

People who live through transplants or disasters like Sept. 11 are survivors.