And I took a walk and I just went to prayer and I said Lord, what would you have me do in the Minnesota state senate? And just through prayer I knew that I was to introduce the marriage amendment in Minnesota.

My ability to function effectively will not affect my ability to serve as commander-in-chief.

I thought if anyone need a leg up, it was our foster children. So, I started getting involved in education reform, and that was back in 1998. And as a result of all the reform work that I had done, people urged me to run for the Minnesota state Senate. I did, I was there for six years.

During my first term in Congress, I signed a pledge that I will take no more earmarks and I've been faithful to that pledge.

It isn't that I was born thinking I had to be president. I'm getting a lot of encouragement to run from people across the country. I don't believe this is a rash decision.

Everything I needed to know I learned in Iowa... I know what it means to be from Iowa - what we value and what's important... I grew up here in Iowa.

I was in the Minnesota state Senate from 2000 until 2006. In 2006, I was urged to run for Congress, I did. And I've been here ever since.