Morality in government begins with officials using words as honestly as possible to describe the truth.

It's very, very hard to speak truth to power when the truth is unpleasant. I think it's one of the toughest things especially a young person has to do and the only way you can do it is if you're willing to walk out the door if he doesn't take your advice. Or if you're willing to walk out the door if he goes over the line.

At the heart of leadership is the leader's relationship with followers. People will entrust their hopes and dreams to another person only if they think the other is a reliable vessel.

We are making politics a spectator sport in which our only duty is to vote somebody into office and then retire to the grandstands.

Ronald Reagan is clearly to television what Franklin Roosevelt was to radio.

If you look at history, every major realignment in our politics is a joining together of a new generation and emerging technologies. Obama has been a pioneer in joining the powers of the Internet with the principles of community organizing. Howard Dean used the Internet for meetups - Obama used it to create a movement.

The proudest moment for [a teacher of leaders] is seeing not what students learn but what they do.