I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions.

Hope is the bedrock of this nation. The belief that our destiny will not be written for us, but by us, by all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is, who have the courage to remake the world as it should be.

For America to get more entangled militarily in Syria is a serious step, and we have to do so making absolutely certain that we know who we are helping; that we're not putting arms in the hands of folks who eventually could turn them against us or allies in the region.

That is the true genius of America-a faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles.

I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.

I absolutely think that it's possible for us to find common ground.

One of the challenges of a democratic government is making sure that even in the midst of emergencies and passions, we make sure that rule of law and the basic precepts of justice and liberty prevail.