Look for intelligence and judgment and, most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around corners. Also look for loyalty, integrity, a high energy drive, a balanced ego and the drive to get things done.

Some people naturally have a sense of empathy and an understanding of how to bring their followers to do things. They become great politicians.

Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.

Today I can declare my hope and declare it from the bottom of my heart that we will eventually see the time when that number of nuclear weapons is down to zero and the world is a much better place.

I think the American people are sophisticated enough and wise enough to make judgments about the candidates and wade through the charges and countercharges that come with the [election 2004] campaign.

War is never a happy solution, but it may be the only solution. We must exhaustively explore other possible solutions before we make the choice for war. Every political and diplomatic effort should be made to avoid war while achieving your objective.

I don't think we handled the aftermath of the fall of Baghdad as well as we might have. But that's now history.