I led a comfortable life, went to good schools and was privileged in many ways, but my father worked hard. We never considered ourselves rich.

I led a comfortable life, went to good schools and was privileged in many ways, but my father worked hard. We never considered ourselves rich.

What middle-income Americans want most of all is a job. We need a generous safety net for the most vulnerable in our society, but for most people the biggest social accomplishment that we can help them achieve is a good-paying job.

The fears are unanimous. ObamaCare is too expensive. It is a government takeover of our healthcare system. Services will be diminished. The patient-doctor relationship will be eliminated. It will not make healthcare more affordable. And it will bankrupt small businesses.

One of the first bills I helped passed was the Shore Protection Fund, which provides a stable source of funding for shore protection, something very important for Monmouth County and the entire Jersey Shore.

I am who I am. In politics when you treat people well and they know you're honest, straight and sincere, I think it's an advantage. Just because somebody comes from a hard-boiled political culture doesn't make him a good U.S. senator.

To work hard. To open new doors for our kids, for our grandkids. To renew our spirit. That's what America is about.