I think most Americans would agree people should be treated equally and everyone ought to be able to pursue a fulfilling life with the ones they love.

The choreographed standing and clapping of one side of the room - while the other side sits - is unbecoming of a serious institution and the message that it sends is that even on a night when the president is addressing the entire nation, we in Congress cannot sit as one, but must be divided as two.

The balance between freedom and security is a delicate one.

Political differences will always generate a healthy debate, but over time the dialogue has become more hateful and at times violent.

Good-faith re-examination of a position you've held in the past should be seen as a virtue, not a vice.

When I talk about the importance of the institution of marriage, I think of the commitment and the significance of standing in front of those closest to you and promising fidelity to your partner 'til death do you part.'

On the mountains mistakes are fatal. In politics, mistakes are wounding emotionally, but you recover. Personally, wilderness helps me get back in touch with natural rhythms, helps me reflect and, in the process, restore my creativity.