The ongoing task of debt management for the federal government will clearly be very different in the years ahead than it has been in the past, when debt was rapidly increasing, ... With $3.6 trillion in debt outstanding, even a 3 basis point (0.03 percentage point) reduction in federal borrowing costs will ultimately produce savings of more than $1 billion per year.

The only reason I'm bringing my condition to your attention now is because the swelling of a lymph node near my left ear has become noticeable to viewers of TNT, and there have been questions asked. My plan is to work the rest of the NBA season and playoffs, go to the beach with my wife, Cheryl, and our four kids, and start a treatment regimen in late June, which will likely include chemotherapy. And then I'll go back to work.

The only reason this plan looks reasonable is that it is scaled back from something that was fairly audacious.

The only reason we are talking about this (wheel tax) is to get a vote (for the EMS budget), and I have a real problem with that. The feeling I'm getting here tonight is that I'm buying (Williams') vote so that he'll get the Capital Improvement Plan in gear for 2005.

The point of doing a Coordinate Program Review, which we do for every system in the state, is to help make our schools better. When we find deficiencies, we work with the schools to come up with an action plan to make needed changes.