I think we have a moral obligation to our children that can be easily summarized: number one, protect them from harm.

We are spending $1 billion a week in Iraq.

They don't have special rights because we have civil rights laws that protect them. The laws work both ways.

Mercury pollution from power plants is a national problem that requires a national response

But like the rest of the country, Maine has reached an impasse, for most of the mercury that fouls our skies, waters and land comes from outside our borders.

The argument on the other side of special rights is completely bogus. It's bogus because you could make exactly the same claim about racial or ethnic or religious minorities.

While I relish our warm months, winter forms our character and brings out our best.