We do a lot of the same things, which is amazing to us because we don't trade notes. She's more into it than me. Helen has fought the good fight in New York and I give her full credit for having that stamina. She's a mighty warrior.

I think the people of Queens really have a friend in the office of Borough President. It certainly is something she wants to do and it makes her happy. I don't see her slowing down anytime soon.

She, I think, always kind of exemplified leadership. She was extremely active in high school and asserted herself in many ways. She participated very heavily in high school activities, and I think part of her impetus for becoming a leader is that she was always the big sister for me and always in charge of me and was very comfortable in that role. I think that plays a role in who she is today.

We certainly don't need a reduction in rates and there are signals, like retail and trade, that show us the economy is going to rebound in the first part of the year.

The US financial position is rapidly deteriorating, due mainly to America's persistent and growing trade deficit. US ambitions to run the world, in other words, are heavily mortgaged. Like any debtor who borrows more year after year with no plausible way to reverse the trend, a nation sinking deeper into debt enters into an adverse power relationship with its creditors -- greater and greater dependency.

That's not coming from us; I certainly haven't pushed it. Nobody's presented me with a case (for a trade). That's not something I think we need to do.