Those who try to stifle the vibrancy of our democracy and shield policies from scrutiny behind a false cloak of patriotism miss the real value of what our troops defend and how we best defend our troops. We will ask questions and we will defend our democracy.

I get always a little uptight when I hear politicians say how exceptional America is.

I'm going to be honest with you - I don't know a lot about Cuba's healthcare system. Is it a government-run system?

Nobody's interests are served by what's happening in Syria today. It's a catastrophe. It's the worst human catastrophe since World War II. And, as I said just now, it represents a failure of the entire international community to come to grips with solving it.

We need to talk to all the players in the Middle East, not because we agree with them, but because they play a role.

No one is going to question my commitment to the defence of our nation. I don't know what it is these Republicans, who didn't serve in any war, have against those of us who are Democrats who did.

America is the most powerful economy in the world. We're an $18-trillion-dollar economy.