The Republicans want to turn Medicare into a voucher plan that will end guaranteed coverage of medical bills for the elderly.

In other words, United States, our values, the way that we occupy ourselves in terms of saying here's the way we stand in this country when we go to war, it's not that we go in and we kill off anybody, including families. We don't take the riches. We don't claim the women. My God, that's not America.

Hikes in the debt ceiling - without any political demands from the opposition party - had been routine until President Obama took office.

When I'm on TV, I'm often talking to a conservative host. I may have another conservative arguing with me. You've got very limited time, and you're using 'sound-bite' type language.

American people are a little tired of anybody saying, let's get back in war. Why don't we go back (inaudible).

I'm not a predictable black liberal.

As President Obama is inaugurated for a second time, the biggest political surprise is that gun control is now key to his political legacy.