I don't get into the book-telling business of conversations I have with the president. That's not my style, and I don't think that's a responsible thing to do.

Bogging down large armies in historically complex, dangerous areas ends in disaster.

Well, let's go back to the original intent of Social Security. It is an insurance contract.

Nations, great nations have limitations. All nations have limitations. Even great powers have limitations.

Closing Guantanamo Bay is not a military solution. The closing of that prison, which I support, I supported it when I was in the Senate, requires more than just a military dimension.

(The) chain of command has failed over the years, obviously, for a lot of reasons.

Foreign policy is all about a universe of bad decisions, imperfect decisions; every situation is different. The dynamics, the atmospherics, the people, the pressures, the geopolitical realities shift.