If you hear what people had to say about Abraham Lincoln or what they had to say about FDR, or what they had to say about Ronald Reagan when he first came in and was trying to change our approach to government, that elicited huge responses.

My experience is that our intelligence officials try to do the right thing, but even with good intentions, sometimes they make mistakes. Sometimes they can be overzealous.

Military surge in Afghanistan to eliminate the Taliban.

I will not stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are ... Not this time. Not now.

But while they're adding teachers in places like South Korea, we're laying them off in droves. It's unfair to our kids. It undermines their future and ours. And it has to stop. Pass this bill, and put our teachers back in the classroom where they belong.

I have always believed that what brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart.

The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong.