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I fight, and have fought, for political freedom, for justice and for fairness and freedom of speech.

I have enormous respect for people who do run for office.

My father took one of the toughest jobs in the government because he cared about his nation more than himself. His courage and conviction have always driven me to want to make a difference.

I have worked in every - every Democratic administration since the Kennedy administration, and I know dysfunctionality when I see it.

I served my time and came out of prison when I was just 26 and have worked with the government for 37 years. But people only remember me for what I did before that.

A lot of my fighting qualities I inherited from my parents. They set tremendous examples right through my life.

I had the vocation for politics. What I didn't have was any aptitude for political combat. I took the attacks personally, which is a great mistake. It's never personal: It's just business. It was ever thus.

I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone.

Being under the microscope meant I was never given any slack. I still managed to screw up plenty in life, mind you, but in the things I really cared about - the legal work, or the stories I was telling as a writer, or the office I built in government - I wasn't left a lot of margin for error. It's kept me driven.