Fathers have a unique and irreplaceable role in the lives of children.

America has never been an empire. We may be the only great power in history that had the chance, and refused - preferring greatness to power and justice to glory.

What's the sense of sending $2 million missiles to hit a $10 tent that's empty?

I don't mind comments saying things about me. I do mind them saying things about those young, brave men and women who have volunteered. That's offensive to me that people would say those kind of comments about Americans who have volunteered to take the fight to the enemy.

The decisions I made are done. And history will judge whether or not they were correct. There's no such thing as accurate short-term history.

Republican or Democrat candidate for Presidency ought to say: I look forward to working with the president to solve the problem. People expect us to come here to solve problems. And thus far, the attitude has been: Let's just kind of ignore what the president has said and just hope somebody else comes and solves it for us. And that's what I'd be running on. I'd be running on the economy and I'd be running on national security. But since I'm not running, I can only serve as an adviser to those who are.

I think by not participating in the current political debate, hopefully I'm sending a signal that will help set a tone.