Let's go tell everyone we meet that, when the American dream is at stake, you want Barack Obama in charge.

I very much believe in values-based leadership, and that the values that I believe in and try to govern by are transcendent values. They have nothing to do with race or even with political parties. Secondly, I think nothing substitutes for the power of the grassroots by showing them the courtesy of going to them where they are and inviting them to take part in the political process.

"Government" is the name we give to the things we choose to do together.

Governor is the only office I've ever run for, and I did so in the first place because I felt that there was a contribution I could make right now in governing for the long term and by leading by values. I ran for a second term to finish the work we started. I'll finish this out and return to the private sector, which I enjoy and miss in some ways.

Two [Massachusetts coal burning power plants] remain: Brayton Point in the South Coast region and Mt. Tom, just down the road. Within the next four years, both should shut down and Massachusetts should finally end all reliance on conventional coal generation.

Don't tell me words don't matter.

It's a free country. I wish it weren't.