The next day I was put on paid leave from my new job at Louisiana State University. This is very painful to me, though once again I understand the circumstances in which my employers find themselves in light of these actions taken against me.

I was devastated by the loss of my job in March, although I can understand why it occurred.

Is the Justice Department incapable of regulating itself? Without strong regulation, the privileges we give them to investigate us, to conduct their normal anti-crime things, can spiral out of control.

After eight months of one of the most intensive public and private investigations in American history, no one - no one - has come up with a shred of evidence that I had anything to do with the anthrax letters. I have never worked with anthrax. I know nothing about this matter.

My life experiences have helped me to be less fearful. In politics, that has allowed me to take on issues sooner rather than later.

All I need for a perfect holiday is sun and some peace and quiet. Those make for perfect book-writing conditions.

Nothing in the world can take my peace away from me.

What our men and women in uniform are doing is providing for the Iraqi people and other surrounding nations the opportunity to see, to taste and to experience the democracy that equals freedom and ultimately justice.