Power says if you are a committee chairman, your idea is good only because you have got power.

Principle says it's not who put forth an idea. It's not the position of the person who put forth an idea; it's not the longevity of the person or the party of the person. That's not what it is at all. In a power system, that's the way it works. But in a principle system, it's what it says.

You have got to clean your own house first before you tell other people that they aren't doing it right.

If principles don't determine what you are going to pass or do, then power will.

You lay out a plan and - say a three-year plan or a two-year plan - and say, 'This is what we can do. We can do the transportation packages, like the highway bill and the water bill, and we can do some of these other areas - a farm bill - whatever it is, we lay out a schedule, and we put that committee to work to do that.'

I've been a member of the Judiciary Committee for 20 years, and chairman for 12 years. This is the first time that we've ever had a letter or any type of direct report from a member of the Supreme Court regarding misconduct taking place at the Supreme Court. It's extraordinary.