[ William Ayers] is an example of what I'm talking about. This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.

Our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes - and I see many of them in the audience here today.

We need earmark reform, and when I'm President, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely.

I don't have much patience for anyone who denies that this challenge is real.

I found during the course of my political career on the national scene there's a point where the vanity burns away and you've had your fill of your name in the papers, or big adoring crowds, or the exercise of power. And for me that happened fairly quickly. And then you are really focused on: What am I going to get done with this strange privilege that's been granted to me? How do I make myself worthy of it?

If everybody voted, then it would completely change the political map in this country.

The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails.