Obama seems to want to do something to damage rich people.

If somebody had made that [deal] to me when I was a businessman, I would have said he proposed to give me the sleeves from his vest.

Nothing ever gets settled in this town (Washington). It's not like running a company or even a university. It's a seething debating society, in which the debate never stops; in which people never give up, including me, and that's the atmosphere in which you administer.

I think the idea that you would do everything you can to prevent what is coming at you by way of something very disruptive - a 9/11 - it's a no-brainer.

If they are too big to fail, make them smaller.

Open political and economic systems have been gaining ground and there's a good reason for it. They work better.

I like the life of ideas and applying ideas to action.