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Ben Barnes: the 66-year-old Democratic lightning rod on why he's not sorry about 60 Minutes, the real reasons John Kerry lost, and how his party can come back from the dead.

Article Excerpt
You put a lot of time and energy into [Democratic presidential nominee] John Kerry over the past year, and into winning the U.S. Senate back for the Democrats, and particularly into getting [Senate minority leader] Tom Daschle reelected. None of that worked out, obviously. What kind of mood are you in? Well, I'm disappointed. I don't think anyone can really be involved in politics day in and day out, as I have been [as an elected official, lobbyist, and fundraiser], without becoming discouraged. The Democrats have not gotten 50 percent of the vote in a presidential election since 1976. That alone should tell us that we are not articulating ideas in away that generates the interest and support and enthusiasm of the majority of the American people. That's the way this country works. The winner wins. But there are still the most complicated, complex problems in this state and in this country that have ever existed. We still have to find solutions, and we still have to have a two-party system. There are still 290 million people counting on a political discussion. So a political discussion must go on.

Why did you work so hard this election year as opposed to the past few cycles? There was a lot at stake. I've seen Texas in good times and in bad times, and we can do better than we're doing right now. When I introduce myself and say, "I'm Ben Barnes, from Texas," I used to hear, "Man, tell us about Texas. Y'all are really accomplishing a lot of great things. I really would like to live there." Now people will say, "You're from Austin? It's a great city. I'd like to live there sometime." But Texas? "Hmmm, y'all are a lot like Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama, aren't you? Y'all got a lot of problems. Y'all got a lot of people in penitentiaries. Y'all are tough on them down there."

Does it really matter what other people think of us? You know, that's what's wrong with Texas right now: We stick our heads in the sand. And that's what's wrong with the United States. A lot of people in the United States are saying, "It doesn't matter what England or France or Germany or anyone else thinks of us. We're the United States of America, and we have more bombs." That's not the future I want for my children.

Give me an example of an area in which we can do better. Insurance. The United States is the wealthiest country in the world, and 15 percent of its people don't have health...

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