I don't want to spend the rest of my life giving speeches.

As I've thought about gay marriage, I don't see any reason not to say that [couples] should be able to get married.

This is something else that is drilled into us in the military: Make sure you know who your replacement is, in case you become a casualty. So you have to have depth within an organization.

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.

Let me just be candid: My party is full of racists. And the real reason a considerable portion of my party wants President Obama out of the White House has nothing to do with the content of his character, nothing to do with his competence as commander-in-chief and president, and everything to do with the color of his skin. And that's despicable.

The essence of leadership is building bonds of trust in your organization.

Have a sense of humor to break the tension in times of great toil.