Quote

I don't want to shut down the government.

I'm not a politician. And I don't want to be.

I don't want to associate myself with any specific group of politicians.

There are very powerful and wealthy special interests who want to privatize or dismember virtually every function that government now performs, whether it is Social Security, Medicare, public education or the Postal Service.

We are a coalition government, and that limits our options in some ways. Privatization happens to be one such area.

If we are going to have a bicameral parliament, I think there should always be a reserved place for people whose background and experience are critical to the welfare of the nation.

I don't want to be known as a politician.

I am not yet ready to be Tsar. I know nothing of the business of ruling.