Going through the legislative process is always better, in part because it's harder to undo.

Heaven forbid we've got a problem where we could have prevented a terrorist attack or apprehended someone who is engaged in dangerous activity, but we didn't do so simply because of inaction in the Senate.

I can be much more sarcastic and, I think, sometimes withering in my assessments of things than I allow to show in my public life.

Mitt Romney is familiar with jobs being shipped overseas because he invested in companies that were shipping jobs overseas.

Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.

History doesn't always move in a straight line. Sometimes it zigs and zags.

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.