Carl Levin

Each of our nominees has a long history of public service.

It's possible for us to keep the American people safe, while adhering to our core values and ideals

The President-elect has made a very strong commitment to openness and transparency in government

Restoring America's moral leadership globally is essential to our security

I have believed for a long time that the Afghan National Army ought to be placed in the position where it's most needed.

I want to add my voice to the caution that Senator Webb, I believe, expressed on that.

It doesn't make any sense to think people don't know how to write checks. Basically, if you know how to deposit, you should know how to withdraw.

It could be or should be?

You had not made a final decision.

It would appear to be a rating resulting from fear and not a rating based on the condition of the institution.

On July 31, we briefed Chairman Sheila Bair, and the result of which was we told her this is a composite 4 and why.

Contractors and program offices have every reason to produce optimistic cost estimates and unrealistic performance expectations, because programs that promise revolutionary change and project lower costs are more likely to be approved and…

In your judgment, was the Iraqi government operation in Basra properly and carefully planned and were the preparations adequate?

Now, on October 4, 2007, Exhibit 46, you wrote the SEC.

For example--presumably of your decision on directional view--during most of 2007, we maintained a net short sub-prime position and therefore stood to benefit from declining prices in the mortgage market.

Underwriting guidelines established to mitigate the risk of unsound underwriting decisions are not always followed.

That is one of the intriguing aspects of this matter, it seems to me, is it is kind of hard to state with any confidence as to how many people would be riding Metro or some other form of mass transit who otherwise would not be.

And that raises the equity issue, it seems to me, because if there are a lot of people who are getting their transportation paid for by the government, who would have paid for that mass transit from their own pay, where you have other…

Then how do you say there is great proven value to the program when you have no way of assessing how many people were motivated by the program to do something and may have done it the same way anyway?

That has not yet been done?

I think that you made reference, Mr. Gimble, to an audit by the Department of Defense Inspector General back in 2003 which said that 'controls over the transit subsidies program within the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Defense Logistics…

Are you saying that basically the benefits here may not justify the cost of doing that kind of a survey?

That seems to me to be one of the real problems with this program, it is hard to identify what percentage of employees were moved or attracted or given an incentive to leave either a single occupant vehicle or a multiple occupant vehicle…

Can you check with the IRS and ask them what they know about this deduction?

That would be great. Thank you.