There is no international problem that can be addressed or solved without the engagement and leadership of the United States and everybody in the world knows that its just fact of life. So sometimes I think we could conduct ourselves with a little more humility.

Studies have consistently shown that financial hardship is the biggest obstacle to heterosexual marriage yet the Republican leadership has done precious little to help address the financial hardship faced by American families.

We're going to need to absorb some pain. The Republicans want to pile all the pain on people who can least afford it and the middle class and Democrats under his leadership want to make sure that we can address deficit reduction and continue to make investments and shared sacrifice is going to be imperative in order to be able to do that.

The monopoly of science in the realm of knowledge explains why evolutionary biologists do not find it meaningful to address the question whether the Darwinian theory is true.

And most importantly perhaps children can learn about their rights share their knowledge with the children of other nations identify problems with them and establish how they might work together to address them.

Someday we'll learn the whole story of why George W. Bush brushed off that intelligence briefing of Aug. 6 2001 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.' But surely a big distraction was the major speech he was readying for delivery on Aug. 9 his first prime-time address to the nation.

President Obama called for a 'we' nation in his Inauguration Address. Art convenes. It is not just inspirational. It is aspirational. It pricks the walls of our compartmentalized minds opens our hearts and makes us brave. And that's what we need most in our country today.

My wife and I had decided not to let anybody take pictures of our home because it was just the last place on earth we had that was unscathed. But people have climbed over the fence they've taken aerial shots. They've gotten my address and put it on the Internet.

As we get closer to the end of this Congress we should be addressing the urgent needs of the American people - the war in Iraq affordable health care a sensible energy policy quality education for our children retirement security and a sound and fair fiscal policy.

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.