“Most people in politics draw energy from backslapping and shaking hands and all that. I draw energy from discussing ideas.”

“political will is a renewable resource”

“No matter how hard the loss, defeat might serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.”

“The planet is in distress and all of the attention is on Paris Hilton.”

“I actually thought and believed that the story would be compelling enough to cause a real sea change in the way Congress reacted to that issue. I thought they would be startled, too. And they weren't.”

“The global environment crisis is, as we say in Tennessee, real as rain, and I cannot stand the thought of leaving my children with a degraded earth and a diminished future.”

“Here is the truth: The Earth is round; Saddam Hussein did not attack us on 9/11; Elvis is dead; Obama was born in the United States; and the climate crisis is real.”