We have throughout our history been tested when it comes to the institutions of our democracy. And thank God our forefathers were smart enough to establish a government of checks and balances to make sure that power cannot be centralized in any one branch of government. And those institutions have proven themselves.

I suddenly realized at the CIA that I had to make life-and-death decisions about people.

Frankly, my fundamental beliefs have not changed.

The White House was so eager to rid itself of Iraq that it was willing to withdraw rather than lock in arrangements that would preserve our influence and interests.

The United States has to be a leader in the world, because the problem is: If we are not leading, nobody else will.

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.

Today, I think the attitude is that governing is not necessarily good politics, and the result is that it's much more partisan and much more divided.