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For too long, unfunded federal mandates have drained the budgets of states and communities. The strength and vitality of our communities must be restored.

We have become bound by a political straitjacket that frames every debate: Too much federal government. Yet our forefathers forged this system for us. The federal government can accomplish what the states, acting alone or even in concert, cannot.

We want a state wise in its contemplation - just in its actions - and moderate in the reach of government into our lives.

The mystery of government is not how Washington works but how to make it stop.

Our founders insisted that protecting the states' power to govern themselves was vital to limit the power of Washington and preserve freedom.

We just simply want to get back to basics, get - restore essentially the constitutional foundation of the country, and that means the federal government becoming less onerous, less involved in every - basically every item of our lives. And what that means is there does have to be some transition.

My goal was to make New Jersey's state government a model for all other states to emulate, hopefully thereby to stem, or at least slow down, the flow of power to the federal government.

My whole deal is reforming, changing, shaking up Washington. It sure needs it.

Your purpose, then, plainly stated, is, that you will destroy the Government, unless you be allowed to construe and enforce the Constitution as you please, on all points in dispute between you and us.

We all went up to Washington on a mission to change things. What I found is that the Founding Fathers set it up where it's a little more difficult to do. We've got the Senate and the president to deal with.