Because everybody's all in the same room, just as a fail-safe situation, they make sure that there's one member of the cabinet who isn't there.

In general, they are lucky to get any of their recommendations adopted. A lot of commissions have filed reports, and no one pays attention. By the time they have done their work, attention has moved onto something else - which is, of course, the reason why presidents create commissions.

It's the same reason we have spittoons and snuff boxes in the chamber. There's a veneration of the way the chamber has always operated.

The first national convention of any political party was the anti-Masonic party.

There is a tradition of not wearing two hats in the government.

I got into film-making because I was interested in making entertaining movies, which I felt there was a lack of.