A : I never have given them any because they’re an ungrateful lot. No, they on occasion ask when I’m going to invite them over for a steak and I would love to invite them over for a steak, but unfortunately we don’t have any time. We don’t get anything done here but we don’t have any time either.

Q : What in the Senate reminds you of your time as an elementary school music teacher?

A : It’s very similar. This is kind of like grade school. What I miss about teaching kids is they’re like a sponge — they soak in everything you do. Not only what you teach them in the classroom, but also how you act, how you treat other people. And that’s why teachers, short of parents, are probably the most important group in our society because they have such a big impact on what the future of this country is going to be. And, I would like to think that we have the same kind of impact here in Congress.

Q : I hear you’re an avid sports fan. What team do you follow?

A : Baseball is my favorite sport and when we took the farm over in the ’70s, my dad had a 100-foot TV antenna and we had a couple Canadian TV stations. We would see the [Montreal] Expos play and I became an Expos fan. So, then when the Expos moved to Washington, I’m a Nats fan. I’m not a Nats fan because I live in D.C. part time; I’m a Nats fan because I was an Expos fan before the Expos were cool.