It is essential that America's word be good.

You know, there's a great saying in Texas - you've all heard it - "all hat and no cattle." Well, after seven years of George Bush, we need a lot less hat and a lot more cattle.

Dignity does not come from avenging insults, especially from violence that can never be justified. It comes from taking responsibility and advancing our common humanity.

I respect the Second Amendment. But I believe there should be comprehensive background checks, and we should close the gun show loophole, and close the online loophole.

The president [Barack Obama] himself has said he thought part of his job was to remind the American people that being president and commander in chief is a serious responsibility.

After 9/11, I went to work with Republican mayor, governor and president to rebuild New York and to get health care for our first responders who were suffering because they had run toward danger and gotten sickened by it. Hundreds of thousands of National Guard and Reserve members have health care because of work that I did, and children have safer medicines because I was able to pass a law that required the dosing to be more carefully done.

I am all about new beginnings. A new grandchild, another new hairstyle, a new email account. Why not a new relationship with the press?