I'm not sure that the American people are looking for a lot of speeches. I think what they're looking for is action. But one of the things that I do think is important is to be able to explain to the American people what you're doing, and why you're doing it. That is something that I think every great president has been able to do. From FDR to Lincoln to John Kennedy to Eisenhower.

You don't like dealing with somebody who denies horrible things happening to your people or threatens future horrible things to your people.

I think we need missile defense. But I want to make sure it works, that it's cost effective, that the technologies are operable, that it's our best possible strategy, and that hasn't been shown.

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.

I'm not the strapping young Muslim socialist that I used to be.

I don't think the Democrats should think in narrow tactical terms about mid-term elections.

We've been able to organize the international community around it in ways that aren't going to go back.