Richard Dreyfuss is not a fan of sound bites. He said so when he went to the National Press Club Tuesday to talk about teaching civics to American students and also speaking civilly in American politics. He demonstrated it as well, with a long-winded speech and long-winded responses to reporters' questions.

"We don't train people how to run the country even though the constitution mandates that at some point they will, in fact, run this country," he said. "And that's more stupid than sitting on an airplane and hearing an announcement that they're going to pick their pilot from business class today, or that the surgeon who is about to work on you is a member of the AMA whose new phraseology is, 'If you want to be a neurosurgeon be a neurosurgeon.' "

The actor spent an hour discussing what he thinks is wrong with America today. "Personally I would strenuously support a constitutional amendment prohibiting money, politics and television," he told Yeas & Nays afterward. But then, what about acting? "I've done something I love for 55 years, and I'm doing something else I love, saving the country," he said. "You never turn down a great role. ... I'd play any good role with a good salary, I'd even play a semi-good role for a really good salary."