John Thune

“If you're blessed enough to serve in public office, then you shouldn't just talk a good game about your values; you should cast your vote according to them.”

“Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, although they're not officially debt of the federal government, they are off-balance-sheet debt.”

“We must work together to save and strengthen Social Security not just for my father's generation but also for my daughters' generation.”

“But what shouldn't happen is, you shouldn't have the taxpayers from states that are managing their situations well paying for those states that are not.”

“There are more than 30 states, who either by statute or constitutional amendment, have defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.”

“The closest I've come to being on a reality TV show is C-SPAN's live coverage of the Senate floor.”

“Having a Christian worldview shapes my decision-making with respect to all aspects of my life. I always respect people in public life who are principled, and those principles have to be connected to something. And my faith is what serves as the anchor and directs my actions.”

“I think the problem with President Obama - and I like him personally, I came into the Senate with him - is his agenda.”

“I have a Christian worldview and so it shapes the way that I view issues. I don't apologize for that, and I don't think people of faith ought to shrink away from being in the public arena.”

“I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it's marked by the blood of those who died defending it.”

“Because of my upbringing, I believe in things like limited government, fiscal responsibility and personal accountability. I believe in the wisdom of our founders and the sanctity of our Constitution.”

“We are spending more as a percentage of our entire economy, almost 25 percent, than we have spent at any time since the end of World War II.”

“I feel that I am best positioned to fight for America's future here in the trenches of the United States Senate.”

“When you're the president of the United States and you know that the biggest issue facing you is this cliff that we're about ready to head over if we don't get this spending and debt situation under control, it's very irresponsible not to take the action that is necessary to fix the problem.”

“Like a lot of people, I'm interested in public service and want to do as much as I can to change the direction of this country and will give some consideration to that after midterm elections.”

“I valued the biblical foundation I got at Biola. I was able to take classes that strengthened my faith and helped me to better understand what I believe and how to, in a practical way, apply my faith in real-world situations.”

“I'm a big, big reader of pretty much everything that Chuck Colson has written. And I consulted with him when I was making some decisions about running for the Senate in the first place.”

“Absolutely. I think that this is - politics is a tough business. I describe it as a full contact sport. You have to be prepared to get in there and mix it up.”

“We must ensure that today's seniors' benefits are rock solid and find a solution that fixes Social Security for the next generation that is just entering the workforce.”

“Social Security is an extremely complicated program.”