Were you trying to get his vote when you recently wrote a critical letter to the comedian Kathy Griffin, who described Scott Brown’s two daughters as “prostitutes” on her show?

I did that because I was on the show that day. You get guilt by association — you can’t comment on every offensive thing people do. I have enough trouble commenting on the offensive things I do.

Why would you let her film you in your office in Washington for a show called “My Life on the D-List”?

She asked me if I would do it, and if you say no, then you get demonized as someone who is afraid. So she came to my office and said, “I demand that you pass the repeal — don’t ask, don’t tell — by tomorrow, and if not, it will be a bitter pill.” I said, “Well, it won’t be the only pill you swallow this week, I’m sure.”

Image Credit... Andrew Cutraro for The New York Times

What were you implying? Is she a pill popper?

I said what I said.

For all your love of financial regulation, you’ve joined with the libertarian Republican Ron Paul to write bills that would shrink government. Do you think your bill to legalize marijuana will ever pass?

Yes, in the next five years.

Will that expand the tax base? As a nation, do you think we could smoke our way to solvency?

I want to be clear; that’s not my major motivation. My major motivation is personal freedom. When we outlaw marijuana or online gambling, all you do is create more criminals and deprive us of revenue.