I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that.

Certainty without power can be interesting, even amusing. Certainty with power can be dangerous.

There are things that we know, and there are things that we don't know. Then there are the things that we don't even know that we don't know. Those are the things that are the hardest.

If you are working from your inbox, you are working on other people’s priorities.

Most of the 50 or so invitations you receive each week come from people inviting the President's Chief of Staff, not you. If you doubt that, ask your predecessor how many he received last week.

Oh, Lord. I didn't mean to say anything quotable.

When starting at the bottom, be willing to learn from those at the top.