I took some me time. I think that's a really important thing to do for yourself especially in this business. And now I feel like I'm in a really good positive place in my life.

We asserted ourselves as a music community and showed legislators that music is positive. Especially if you've sold 300 million records worldwide and pay taxes.

But I think there was a sense amongst the House Republicans especially that we didn't just want to be opposed to Bill Clinton that we wanted to tell the country what we were for and to brand ourselves in a more positive manner.

I think people in Botswana are pleased that my books paint a positive picture of their lives and portray the country as being very special. They've made a great success of their country and the people are fed up with the constant reporting of only the problems and poverty of the continent. They welcome something which puts the positive side.

American influence in the world is certainly considerable but the United States does not control directly or indirectly the politics and economics of other societies as empires have always done save for a few special cases that turn out to be the exceptions that prove the rule.

Broadway is such a diverse community. Everybody knows how I believe and everyone believes and it's not a big deal. But in Hollywood if you talk about politics - especially if you're a Republican - or spirituality it's just not something people want to hear about.

I ask you: turn a deaf ear to the special interests. Let politics stand down for a while. don't waste anytime thinking about future elections until we've done our jobs here.

I think especially in a world where you have so little say about what goes on in your life or in the politics of the world around you it is wonderful to go into that studio and tell yourself what to do.

Politics is pop. Our job as comedians - especially me as a late-night talk show which is a broader audience - is to amplify what we think America is thinking.

On the one hand the financial projection is on the agenda - we will see if this problem can be resolved or not. I think it is a right idea to stage a special summit which would deal with the question of priorities of European politics.