I think I'm the best president I've ever been right now. And I think the team that is operating right now functions as well as any team that I've had. And so, you know, there is a part of you that thinks, "Man, we're pretty good at this stuff right now." And you hate to see that talent disperse.

What I've said to [my team] is, "Look, we ran our leg of the race and we did a darn good job."

In America, we started the public school system very early in the century, and as a consequence we had more skilled workers than any nation on Earth, which meant that we were more productive than any nation on Earth.

The American people are going to have a good choice.

Our resources may be finite, but our will is infinite, and I am confident that if we come together and summon that great American spirit once again, we will meet the challenges of our time and write the next great chapter in our American story.

What do you think a stimulus is? It’s spending - that's the whole point! Seriously.

Cutting benefits is not the right answer. Raising the retirement age is not the best option.