Where we are now is we have resolved the revenue issue and the question is what are we going to do about spending. I wish the president would lead us in this discussion rather than putting himself in a position of having to be dragged kicking and screaming to the table to discuss the single biggest issue confronting our future.

Tiger Woods and John Edwards had a better year than the stimulus bill.

More young people believe they'll see a U.F.O. than that they'll see their own Social Security benefits.

The worst day of my political life was when President George W. Bush signed McCain-Feingold into law.

The new troops in Iraq need to be Iraqi troops.

Are we still a country that takes risks, that innovates, that believes anything is possible? Or are we a country that is resigned to whatever liberty the government decides to dish out?

I think some of our members may have thought the default issue was a hostage you might take a chance at shooting. Most of us didn’t think that. What we did learn is this - it’s a hostage that’s worth ransoming. And it focuses the Congress on something that must be done.