We also have to ask if we focusing on the most important priorities.

And when we draw lines in the sand with regard to certain basic things that are vital to our interest and to the interest of democracy and our friends around the world, we have to be willing to back that up.

That is, while we believe that cost-benefit analysis is an important tool to inform agency decision making, the results of the cost-benefit analysis do not trump existing law.

You can't substitute promise after promise with known violators of prior promises at the expense of protecting ourselves or setting an example.

Let's not overlook, though, what we do know about the campaign finance scandal, and the fact the Chinese were involved in our presidential campaign and our congressional campaigns.

We're hoping for the best, but we need to prepare for the worst.

China is one of the world's greatest proliferators of weapons of mass destruction to these rogue nations.

So if you look back over the long history of China, they've never tried to take over the world, but they've been quite aggressive in their own neighborhood... in carrying out their own purposes and interests in their sphere of the world.

We also have to ask if we focusing on the most important priorities.

And it's difficult for the average American to understand why something like that could be so important and why a little small place like Taiwan would be so important to the PRC.

Nobody wants to open a business near a Superfund site and risk being sued.

I think that there is a relatively small number of people who are pushing for independence in Taiwan.

For example, lead paint in old houses can be a greater threat to children's health than lead that may be under some industrial site where there are no children.

While we believe there are fruitful opportunities to update and improve old rules, we do not want to set up a review process that could create a litigation morass.

So China will be having to make some choices as to whose side it wants to be on. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a major improvement in our relationship with them, if they choose correctly.

Some people think that our planet is suffering from a fever. Now scientists are telling us that Mars is experiencing its own planetary warming: Martian warming. This has led some people, not necessarily scientists, to wonder if Mars and Jupiter, non signatories to the Kyoto Treaty, are actually inhabited by alien SUV-driving industrialists.

There's a lot more to competence than a law degree and a modicum of courtroom skill.

We have some real political differences among us, but we all share the same goals: clean air and water, injury free workplaces, safe transportation systems, to name a few of the good things that can come from regulation.

We just ask the agency to make reasonable and honest decisions, and the public deserves no less.

Superfund was passed with the good intention of cleaning up America's toxic waste sites.

Sometimes you have to, as I say, build bridges where you can - but draw lines where you must.

We've made some mistakes in this country in times past - the Korean conflict proceeding that, some say proceeding the Persian Gulf War, where we were ambiguous as to what we would do.

Clearly, the Chinese know that we want a good relationship with them.

The problem is that agencies sometimes lose sight of common sense as they create regulations.

For a long time in American history, people didn't even come up before the Senate. They didn't come before the Judiciary Committee, and up until about 1923, something like that.

And I believe in the 13 years Judge Roberts was there, he never turned down a request to give some assistance on a pro-bono case, and this was no different.

In the end, we may be hurting the very people we should be concerned about - the inner-city poor, those who already have to live with many risks in their daily lives, those who do not have clout here in Washington.

There are some hopeful signs coming out of China in the statements they've made since the since September 11.

But if the Chinese mainland, the PRC, attacked Taiwan, we'd be obligated to come to their aid.

I think that the justices were totally answering the way that they should. I think that the senators, as best I could tell, for the most part, Democrat and Republican, respected that.

Hopefully, we can build bridges, but we also have to draw lines.

But obviously, we can't afford to make some bad long-term decisions with regard to basic commitments our country has - trade those away for some short-term assistance that may or may not be there a month from now.

Hopefully we can build bridges but we also have to draw lines.

Promoting job creation and economic growth in the Hudson Valley is one of my top priorities in Congress.

The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

Good things happen when you get your priorities straight.

And yet, if we don't, first and foremost, act responsibly with the national tax dollars that we have, we can't properly address those regional priorities that we would like to.

I did not like leaving them when they were little or big. You have to have priorities regarding what you will allow to take you away from your kid.

I had a breakthrough, I think my life just became calmer, I gave up drinking. My priorities changed as I had a young daughter. The group didn't want me to record for the Think Tank album... so I took it as a sign to leave.

It's not that I'm Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes now, but I've got my priorities in order.

The budget does not adequately fund important domestic programs, promotes tax cuts to the detriment of other priorities and does little to put our nation's fiscal house in order.

One of my top priorities in Congress is to reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels.

Living with the immediacy of death helps you sort out your priorities in life. It helps you to live a less trivial life.

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.

Our priorities require that all children of Palestine, men and women, be ready for conflict, both from the standpoint of training and from the standpoint of armament.

Port Security is one of our weakest security links, and it must be one of our highest priorities.

It's been six years since I have had a drink and I have two girls, and my priorities are a lot different now and I just can't believe I was that guy. And I would not go back, I would not trade the way I am now for anything.

We must focus much more on developing countries' own policies and priorities, and increase policy and operational coherence between national, regional and multilateral actors.

I do not think our priorities are misplaced when we are looking at creating a whole new class of children from these gay marriages who could end up completely dependent on the State, on the taxpayers - the American people.