The future of our nation depends on our ability to produce food and fiber to sustain the world.

Washington, D.C. is full of think tanks, theoreticians and advocacy groups. Governors are the ones whose feet are on the ground.

The consequences of decisions don't just affect spreadsheets... They affect, in fundamental ways, the lives of people and they often mean the difference between life and death.

We have in Tennessee a number of wonderful faith-based clinics to serve the uninsured. It is an important principle with them that everyone pays something as they are able.

It's not health care reform to dump more money into Medicaid.

Since the 1960s, there has been a tremendous expansion of the resources available to pay for health care.

Continuing economic growth requires both recruitment of new companies and expansion of existing businesses.

If the Southeast represents the new battlefield in the war on meth, then Tennessee clearly is at ground zero.

When John Kerry and Zell Miller and George Bush can agree on an issue, you know its got legs.

I like to encourage people who are entrepreneurs-in-waiting.

When I was sworn in as Mayor of Nashville back in 1991, I have to admit to you that I felt for several weeks like a bit of an outsider who had somehow taken over but didnt really belong in this nice palace. I secretly wondered if the real mayor would come back from vacation one day and call the police.

My education commitment is simple. I believe that every child is unique. Im going to work as hard as I know how, and Im going to ask each of you to help me to offer all Tennessee children the education they need to energize their God-given talents to take them as far as they can go.