Mike Johanns

It just so happens that probably every Senator could talk about this.

I voted against TARP, the second tranche of TARP. Quite honestly, I do not think we should put the taxpayer in that position.

So it is critically important that we ask these tough questions.

I have never seen so many people paid so much money to do so many stupid things.

What we are doing here is we are taking this financial reform, and we are expanding it beyond where we should be.

I rise today to speak against raising the debt ceiling. This is a decision that should not be taken lightly. No one in this body should take this decision lightly. It is a serious matter, enormously serious. Our country has debt, and it is…

I am going to be very, very proud to support you as you make your way here through the confirmation process.

But we don't police that, do we?

I'm beginning to question whether that assumption was correct.

I think somebody who is making as low of a salary as some do working far smaller carriers is of concern.

Mr. Chairman, that is a very kind offer. I concur with so many things that you said and wanted to indicate that.

You know I'm not questioning anybody's professionalism. I understand the issue of living away from home. All of us do that here.

Let me, if I might, Mr. Babbitt, in the short time I have, focus on four really important things.

Very briefly, I want to start out and just tell you how much I appreciate what you're doing here.

There are so many good examples, around this country, of industry and universities developing very powerful partnerships.

Not only is it a win-win for the direct participants, but the community wins, the economy wins, the state wins.

The next step at some point, when the economy is strong enough and ready, will be to begin to tighten policy, which means raising interest rates.

One of the things I hear as I talk to the business community... is they just feel there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty.

As we look out to just next year, let us say, the next 12 months, we already have unemployment that has now gone over 10 percent.

I have always believed that less government and lower taxes helps create jobs.

It is just, you look at AIG and you wonder how people got paid so much to make such poor decisions, to be very blunt about it.

Transparency is good. I like transparency.

I appreciate today it may not be much of a player, but it may be sophisticated enough to recognize.

I think we also recognize that, done wrong, this has some very, very serious consequences even for farmers in North Dakota or Nebraska.

I just want to make sure that in this hard case, we don't make bad law.