We need to decrease front-loading, increase diversity, recognize Iowa and New Hampshire laws and traditions and have a calendar that will let us elect a Democrat to the White House.

The festival presents a broad diversity of traditions and it is very inclusive, in terms of traditions that evolved here over hundreds of years to very recent immigrant groups. It's an eye-opening experience. It's sort of like you have the chance to grasp the complexity and diversity and wonder of culture in America – all in one event.

It's positive to have more scale, more diversity in funding and business lines. But with any acquisition there are challenges of integration, and with Katrina there are special challenges that are ongoing.

[Siebel is celebrating its triumph over the SEC.] This was a win not only for Siebel but for all public companies trying to do the right thing, ... We contested the SEC's claims in order to exonerate the company and its executives and to bring clarity to an important issue that was mishandled by the regulators.

The commission has recommended a very bad plan. It is my belief that it makes the nominating process much more narrow and less democratic. You will have a Democratic nominee chosen in three weeks in January of 2008.

Instead of focusing on electing a president in 2008, this commission appears to be heading down a precipitous path. If you have all theses caucuses front-loaded, Democrats will end up with a nominee by the middle of January.