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The Republicans claim they are for strengthening Pell grants when the truth is that over the last four years, their legislation has done the exact opposite.

Apparently there are some Democratic leaders in the Senate that are running for office who now believe in tax cuts.

I voted for the Deficit Reduction Package with significant heartburn over the student aid provisions.

I'm very disappointed with the McCain campaign. In my opinion, it was inept.

I thought if anyone need a leg up, it was our foster children. So, I started getting involved in education reform, and that was back in 1998. And as a result of all the reform work that I had done, people urged me to run for the Minnesota state Senate. I did, I was there for six years.

Pity the poor senator or representative trying to stay alive in the political jungle. At every turn, there's a danger: a constituent who actually wants something done. Or worse, a campaign donor who might be offended by that something.

Montanans elected me to the Senate to do away with shady backroom deals and to make government work better.

Too many of my Senate colleagues overdid it. They stayed on too long - napping through committee hearings when they should have packed up and gone home.