After a decade of profligacy, the American people are tired of politicians who talk the talk but don't walk the walk when it comes to fiscal responsibility. It's easy to get up in front of the cameras and rant against exploding deficits. What's hard is actually getting deficits under control. But that's what we must do. Like families across the country, we have to take responsibility for every dollar we spend.

We're showing that there's no excuse for other nations to come together, both developed and developing, to achieve a strong global climate agreement next year.

There are problems that just end up being really hard and by definition the only problems that come to my desk are the ones that nobody else can solve.

I'm not saying I'm impervious to criticism.

Because of the internet and communications, the clash of cultures is much more direct. People feel, I think, less certain about their identity, less certain about economic security.

I do love the Waldorf-Astoria, though. You know, I hear that from the doorstep you can see all the way to the Russian tea room.

Not much happens in Russian Federation without Vladimir Putin.