I think the Democrats are already in much better shape than the Republicans in terms of values. In fact, I'd say the Republicans are the party of instant gratification: Give yourself a big tax cut now, forget about the deficit. Use up every drop of resources now, forget about conservation. Try to be as comfortable as you want, forget about global warming. In contrast, I think Democrats excel in the values of prudence and managing the country not just for their own gratification but for those who will come after them.

The Democrats' values are the ones that Hubert Humphrey talked about: how government should be worried about the poor, the elderly, the disabled. I think it's a question of values as to whether the richest nation in the history of the world allows people to be, through no fault of their own, hungry and suffering from homelessness....

The Democratic message needs to be that we represent the most important values of the American people -- and I don't think we should agree with the implicit notion that equates values with a particular form of sexual behavior. When the Bush administration talks about values, to them it means sexual abstinence and no cursing -- except on the Senate floor. But in terms of personal morality, one of the strongest values in America is privacy. People shouldn't have to check with Tom DeLay before they go out on a date.