“You have to be an optimist to be in politics.”

I was a stock broker once. I think there is an absolute place for market investments. But they should never be the basis of one’s retirement. They should be an additional piece on top of a basic, secure, guaranteed retirement benefit.

The difference between the very wealthy and the working poor has grown. We raise that minimum wage and we move forward with the vision of this president that we have, which is everyone pays their fair share.

Our message will be that we’re going to make federal government buildings a model – an energy-efficient model – and also start matching grants for cities and counties so that they can also do the same with their government buildings.

Let me tell you, life is interesting regardless of when you are in the fight.

I don’t know how long I’m going to live, but I hope my seeds are pretty good.

I’ve been there for so many crossroads in American history. My whole political life spans the birth of the environmental movement, the women’s movement, the civil rights movement, putting an end to unjust wars, and so and so.

I have to say that after chemotherapy, Barbara Boxer just isn’t that scary anymore.

Iraq was a war of choice, not necessity.

I think America should amass a strategy for success, and set out the milestones. We need to help the Iraqis get their democracy up and running, we’ve got to help them train their military and police and security people, and we’ve got to start moving out.

If something is opinion, put it in the opinion section: Don’t put it in the facts section.

I’ve faced the grief, I’ve faced the anger, and I’m ready to keep up the fight because America is worth fighting for.

Just look at the Judiciary Committee, You have some people on the Judiciary Committee who may well decide not to send the nomination to the floor, and now it all depends on what Democrats do.

I must be doing something right. I was raised to stand up to the bully in the schoolyard, and you don’t lose that.

If you dared to put your opinion into a factual piece, your editors said, “You can’t do this. Write an op-ed.”

President Bush in his inaugural address talked about bringing freedom to countries that don’t have it. He didn’t specify how.

When you take a stand out of deep conviction, people know. They may not even agree, but they ask, ‘Do I want someone who is willing to take a hard stand and someone I can trust to do that when the chips are down?’ They want that.