I may be skinny, but I'm tough. And I'm from Chicago, and -- and we know how to play politics.

I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so we were not -- I was not aware of what was happening. And, as I said, it is a sad day for Illinois.

I had no contact with the Governor or his office and so we were not -- I was not aware of what was happening.

It's a sad day for Illinois.

This is a big problem. And it's going to get worse.

Fortunately, as tough as times right now -- and things are going to get worse before they get better -- there is a convergence between circumstances and agenda.

We are not simply going to write a bunch of checks and let them be spent, without some very clear criteria as to how this money is going to benefit the overall economy and put people back to work.

We are not going to simply write a bunch of checks and let them be spent without some very clear criteria as to how this money is going to benefit the overall economy and put people back to work.

Fortunately, as tough as times are right now and things are going to get worse before they get better, there is a convergence between circumstances and agenda. The key for us is making sure that we jump-start that economy in a way that…

I think we can get a lot of work done fast.

We will launch a massive effort to make public buildings more energy efficient. We'll repair broken schools, make them energy efficient and put new computers in our classrooms. We'll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways.