“I've always wanted to be my own person and stand by the things I believe in and I thought I might lose that independence if I ran for political office.”

“Filibusters have proliferated because under current rules just one or two determined senators can stop the Senate from functioning. Today, the mere threat of a filibuster is enough to stop a vote; senators are rarely asked to pull all-nighters like Jimmy Stewart in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.'”