Just like Mark Snider told the Board of Elections within a couple hours of when he first became aware of it... first of all, Mike and I didn't even know anything about this till March 16, ... Second of all, nobody benefited from this in any way, shape or form whatsoever.

This is not that unusual for there to be fluctuations from one year to another, especially the year after elections. Political talk radio is dependent on the excitement of the political scene.

[Some analysts think next year's Congressional elections already pushed reform to the 2003 agenda.] I don't actually think Sept. 11 will have any long-term impact on the Social Security debate, ... 2002 is an election year, so I always thought Congress would take up the issue in 2003.

It would be a waste of time and money to have two elections.

He was very well-liked within the organization, especially by his subordinates. But it was probably a combination of both his decision and the need for a change.

Ford didn't give much substance on the call in terms of what the market was looking for. Everybody knows the auto industry in North America is in bad shape, and Ford didn't disappoint in that regard. The earnings stunk.