White House operatives went to great lengths to show Obama shifting focus from wars abroad to domestic issues at home.

The history of our country is cruel. We have to face those issues or should I say we had to. Not anymore I hope because we are going in the right direction and we are ready to forgive ready to move on.

But let me tell you this gender thing is history. You're looking at a guy who sat down with Margaret Thatcher across the table and talked about serious issues.

Part of the problem is voters know relatively little about Romney. And some of what they know about him complicates his task: Romney has a history of flip-flopping on issues he's extraordinarily wealthy and he can be tone-deaf about what moves voters. He just doesn't seem comfortable in his skin.

If you look at U.S. history through religious history there is very much a motif that shows the importance religion has played in the U.S. We're a very religious country and it affects the way we look at various political issues.

You can't make assumptions when you're dealing with health issues.

Thankfully President Obama has stood firmly behind women's health care issues by supporting coverage for contraception and reaffirming commitment to organizations like Planned Parenthood.

People were concerned about national security and that precluded us from having the opportunity to break through on the issues that we cared most about - the economy education and health care.

But the dollars spent on economic incentives and new investment strategies are wasted unless we seriously address the two most important economic issues in Kansas: education and health care.

I look forward to working with our leadership team to advance the causes of smaller government lower taxes eliminating terrorism and providing affordable health care among other issues.