I don't think there's any question that America is safer as a result of the bin Laden operation.

In the zero-sum budget game, every dollar spent on this problem [illegal immigration] must be taken from somewhere else....No, we should not tolerate people immigrating illegally. But we need to treat this issue honestly and fairly.

Obama really does recognize the threats that are out there; I think he understands the world. He understands the role of America in that troubled world.

You don't deploy forces into harm's way without knowing what's going on.

If the Iraqis fail to implement the reforms, if they fail to get a handle on the violence, there's nothing the United States can do, militarily or otherwise, that can solve those problems. They have to assume the primary responsibility to govern themselves.

The Taliban is resilient.

Well, the United States is a Pacific power. And we have always had a presence in the Pacific.