5 minutes with Chuck Grassley, U.S. Senator

• DO YOU HAVE A NICKNAME? Chuck. Friends have called me Chuckles. I don't take offense to that.

• WHERE WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? As a farm boy doing farm work for neighbors ... When I went to college ... because they didn't have loans in those days ... I had a job at the Rath Packing Company, Waterloo, Iowa.

• WHO IS WAS YOUR FAVORITE PRESIDENT? Reagan is my favorite ... as a president. My favorite president from the standpoint as a person who is more like me ... George W. Bush.

• IF YOU HAD AN EXTRA HOUR IN THE DAY, HOW WOULD YOU SPEND IT? Reading more newspapers.

• WHAT IS THE LONGEST YOU'VE GONE WITHOUT SLEEP? I doubt if it's been more than 18 hours, but I'm not sure. I suppose if we've been in session I've had longer hours than 18 hours.

• WHAT IS THE STRANGEST THING YOU'VE EVER EATEN? Listen, I'm a meat and potatoes guy. I know what I'm going to eat before I eat it. If I don't like it, I'm not going to eat it.

• WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT ISN'T TAUGHT IN SCHOOL THAT SHOULD BE?Parenthood

• HAWKEYES OR CYCLONES? (UNI) Panthers. Where do you think I went to school?

• HOW MANY CONSECUTIVE PUSHUPS CAN YOU DO? I can do more than 25, but I was just going to do 25 for you.