I think we've done a pretty good job staying in touch with the American people. But at a certain point you can't help but lose some feel for what's on the ground because you're not on the ground.

The last thing you want to do is raise taxes in the middle of the recession because that would just suck up and take more demand out of the economy and put businesses in a further hole.

With Singapore's partnership, the United States in engaging more deeply across South-east Asia and Asean, which is central to the region's peace and prosperity. Singapore is an anchor for the US presence in the region, which is a foundation of stability and peace.

Ultimately peer pressure can lead people to bully, but peer pressure can also say bullying is not acceptable.

We are not a nation that says, 'Don’t ask, don’t tell.' We are a nation that says, 'Out of many, we are one.' We are a nation that welcomes the service of every patriot. We are a nation that believes that all men and women are created equal. Those are the ideals that generations have fought for. Those are the ideals that we upheld today.

As an elected official who comes from the African-American community, there are some similarities. You are always trying to reconcile your own personal biography and affiliations with the demands of the broader democracy. And you need to make sure you are representing everybody.

Who you are and who you love should never be a fireable offense