I didn't -- I swear I didn't -- get into politics to feather my nest or feather my friends' nests.

Some have argued that confronting the threat from Iraq could detract from the war against terror. To the contrary, confronting the threat posed by Iraq is crucial to winning the war on terror.

We`ll fight terrorists in Iraq, we'll fight them across the world, and we will stay in the fight until the fight is won.

Here in the United States our Muslim citizens are making many contributions in business, science and law, medicine and education, and in other fields...[they are]upholding our nation's ideals of liberty and justice in a world at peace.

The Iraqis needed to know that we weren't going to leave them alone. No matter how difficult it was, the United States would help them realize the universal desire to be free. Now of course, if you didn't believe in the universality of freedom, then of course, you wouldn't act. I care how they live and I believe a free Iraq will be transformative.

I fully understand it's important to maintain the separation of church and state. We don't want the state to become the church, nor do we want the church to become the state.

Our Founding Fathers understood that our country would survive and flourish if our Nation was committed to good character and an unyielding dedication to liberty and justice for all.