I believe creative tension between the rights and responsibilities of states and the federal government is in good balance. Neither are fully meeting their responsibilities right now, and I am running to help fix that. Without federal law, however, we would still have racially segregated restrooms and buses in some parts of the country. We would have a far wider disparity between the richest and poorest in this nation. And the environment doesn't recognize state lines. On the other hand, California in particular has done a great job of prodding federal action – on air quality, consumer protection and off-shore drilling, for example. That creative tension works.