Many of the earmark request forms are actually filled out by lobbyists and then just turned in by the member's staff to the appropriations committee.

You can't always say what's popular and you ought to go with it. I think that's why the founders were concerned about direct democracy. That's why we have a republic and that's why we have representatives who who are supposed to look at the issues and to look out for the next generation as well.

It's going to take a while for some of these things.

I feel at some point that the farm state politics will overwhelm the Florida politics.

For one, I think as a missionary you gotta be stubborn. And you gotta try to be persuasive.

I think the Respublican party's lost its way. We have given into nativism and protectionism. And I think that, if we're going to be a governing party in the future, and a majority party, we have got to go back to traditional conservatism, limited government, economic freedom, individual responsibility, respect for free trade. Those are the principles that made us who we are.

Our government shouldn't tell us where to travel and where not to travel.