I would say you have to fight in the life of the mind as well as fight in the streets, as well as fight in the courts, as well as fight in congress and the White House. Every site is a sight of contestation.

We must never so thoroughly disrespect someone that they are beyond the pale and, therefore, have no possibility of being changed.

Reelection ought not to be the primary preoccupation of any politician. It ought to be standing up for truth and justice.

We're learning lessons from Africa. And the lesson that we need to learn is, how do we straighten our backs up in the face of these oligarchs and plutocrats who are trying to snatch the best of our democracy away?

You keep folks so intimidated. You can give them money, access, but they're still scared. And as long as you're scared, you're on the plantation.

We want an economic team, Paul Krugman and Robert Kuttner, Joseph Steiglitz's people and others, who say, you know what? We're sophisticated economists but we're concerned about poor and working people.

Fantasies are real. They have effects on your soul, even though, as I was too young to really step forward.