Facts about Lamar Alexander

"It is a rare American who does not have some story about how music has made our lives richer and more interesting, how it has changed our moods, brought out the best in our character and even sometimes helped us earn a living"

"I think we do better as a country when we go step by step toward a goal, and the goal in this case should be reducing health care costs"

"As Governor, I could think of only one way to unify our State that was made up of so many different climates, political beliefs and people, and that was our music"

"The goal with a big piece of social legislation is to have a bipartisan result, so the country will accept it"

"We do all the appropriating. They do not do any of it down at the White House. They send a budget up here, and we don't have to pay any attention it to at all. We do what we want to do"

"Sooner or later, I need to begin to do what any candidate does in a presidential race; I need to begin to win"

"If Mr. Bush and Mr. Forbes don't get most of the votes, they should be arrested for wasting money"

"Well, here's what I think. I mean, the people are saying, 'We don't want it,' and the Democrats are saying, 'We don't care. We're going to pass it anyway.' And so for the next three months, Washington will be consumed with the Democrats trying to jam this through in a very messy procedure an unpopular health care bill"

"We are the only country in the world that has taken people from so many different backgrounds, which is a great achievement by itself, but an even greater achievement is that we have turned all of that variety and diversity into unity"

"The job of mayor and Governor is becoming more and more like the job of university president, which I used to be; it looks like you are in charge, but you are not"

"September 11 is one of our worst days but it brought out the best in us. It unified us as a country and showed our charitable instincts and reminded us of what we stood for and stand for"

"I need to know the price of a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs. I need to know right now"

"Put too many one-size-fits-all jackets on Americans and the place explodes"

"There are a growing number of conservatives and Republicans who, while they support the president and support the war in Iraq, wonder how many of these nation-building wars we're going to engage in and what the parameters of that are"