Hillary Clinton is somebody of great intelligence. She is somebody who really loves this country, who speaks forcefully and well for American interests and values.

When I went off to college, I was expecting to be a concert musician. In music school I heard all of these kids who were just unbelievable. And I understand that you can be very, very good, but there's something that separates very, very good from great, and I knew that I wasn't great.

I'm very proud that President [George W.] Bush took on AIDS relief. It was the largest single response by any country to a major international health crisis, and there are millions of people who are alive today in Africa and other developing countries because of that program.

When you’re young, your world is pretty limited. My parents, my family, my church dominated my world. And because Birmingham was so segregated, I didn’t really have to encounter the slings and arrows of racism on a daily basis. Obviously, from time to time I did, like when my parents took me to see Santa Claus and he wasn’t letting black children sit on his knee. But my parents tried to insulate me as much as they could.

What you know today can affect what you do tomorrow, but not what you did yesterday.

I think our dependence on foreign oil is a real problem, potential Achilles heel, and we have to do something about it.

Leading in a complex world means recognizing the simple things you can do to make things better.