I said this right after the election - we have to remind ourselves we're on the same team. Vladimir Putin's not on our team.

We reject the use of national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime.

Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.

Cutting benefits is not the right answer. Raising the retirement age is not the best option.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

My administration doesn’t have any secrets, and from now on, neither will you.

We have not always been in sync on every issue in terms of our core values, in terms of her integrity, her truthfulness, her thoughtfulness, [Angela Merkel] doing her homework, knowing her facts, her commitment to looking out for the interests of the German people first, but recognizing that part of good leadership on behalf of the nation requires engaging the world as a whole, and participating effectively in multilaterally institutions, I think she's been outstanding.