Russia is a competitor. They’re a strong nation, something we need to recognize, but their economy is just a little bit bigger than Illinois, so they’re not our equal.
I meet with ambassadors from all countries in my role as a member of Congress, and you always have better relationships with those you actually personally get along with. That matters.
About 70 percent of the district was new. It was a short amount of time to get to know hundreds and thousands of people. But with the help and support of old friends, we built a grassroots operation organically from the ground up.
I think its important to engage them. And I think it’s important that we continue to fight for human rights, which is essential to denying the next generation of terrorists their recruits and this is a long-term fight we’re in when it comes to the war on terror.
Vladimir Putin is a smart guy. I don’t like him, smart guy. He is going to advance the cause of Russia until he hits a brick wall. He’s hit a brick wall in a few areas.
