It's not autobiographical, ... It is in the sense that anything you write in first person to some extent is autobiographical because you've got to put some of yourself into it. But most of the events in there are from imagination and research.

When I first got elected, I was an unknown person from Janesville, Wisconsin. I'm not wealthy and I was able to do it, nonetheless. So I am living proof that an unknown, non-wealthy person can get elected to these seats.

I was not at the first Million Man March, because at that time I didn't see the value in going, ... But over the last 10 years I have listened to people tell me how beautiful the day was and how it changed their lives. The words kept coming: 'I'm going to be one in a million, put my name on the roll and let my story be told.' Now it's personal with me.

I said, 'I'm not coming with you, because so far I'm the only person who can negotiate with the killers,

There is not a person alive who isn't going to have some awfully bad days in their lives. I tell my players that what I mean by fighting is when your house burns down, and your wife runs off with the drummer, and you've lost your job and all the odds are against you. What are you going to do? Most people just lay down and quit. Well, I want my people to fight back.

I think I've matured to a great extent. I think that I want different things now. That it's not about the celebrity status that you receive because you're doing the next hot movie. It's about doing good work.