I'm going to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great.

Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.

I think it is important for Europe to understand that even though I am president and George Bush is not president, Al Qaeda is still a threat.

After a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999.

I am willing to work with anybody who wants to have a serious conversation about our fiscal future. We're not going to do this under the threat of blowing up the entire economy. I will not negotiate over Congress' responsibility to pay the bills that have already been racked up. I don't know how I can be more clear about this.

I know that gaps can be closed. And they can be closed substantially, more than I think we believe.

I think the American people recognize is after a decade of war it's time to do some nation building here at home. And what we can now do is free up some resources, to, for example, put Americans back to work, especially our veterans, rebuilding our roads, our bridges, our schools, making sure that, you know, our veterans are getting the care that they need when it comes to post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, making sure that the certifications that they need for good jobs of the future are in place.