It's very important that we have a president who is mindful of the cruelty that is perpetrated on animals.

My administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government.

I don't mind cleaning up the mess that some other folks made, that's what I signed up to do

You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can't visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally.

Slowly, but surely, we are moving in the right direction. We're on the right track. The economy is getting stronger

The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security. ... Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.

That is the true genius of America, a faith in the simple dreams of its people, the insistence on small miracles. That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door.