You never know what your history is going to be like until long after you're gone.

The financial crisis should not become an excuse to raise taxes, which would only undermine the economic growth required to regain our strength.

I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure.

I've watched politics for years. Republicans rarely get credit for the good things that happen in the economy during their watch. Democrats always get more credit than they deserve. They are just better at political discourse that we are.

We will not permit the triumph of violence in the affairs of men; free people will set the course of history.

I think the key anecdote in the book is when Colin [Powell] and I were discussing Iraq. Colin was upstairs in the Treaty Room, in the residence. And he talks about his concerns about the use of military in Iraq. And I said I felt the same concerns, but it might be that we have to use it. In which case, he said, "I support you."

We had a shared experience. That makes a good marriage better. In many ways our marriage is great because she has made it great.