I do believe that by virtue of having a volunteer army, you are going to have men and women who decide to serve and others who decide to pursue different careers.

Attaching the word marriage to the association of same-sex individuals mistakenly presumes that marriage is principally a matter of adult benefits and adult rights. In fact, marriage is principally about the nurturing and development of children. And the successful development of children is critical to the preservation and success of our nation.

What does it say about a president's policies when he has to use a cartoon character rather than real people to justify his record?

I believe very firmly in the principle of free agency - people making their own decisions and doing what they think is right.

Securing the border is priority number one.

It was the right decision to go into Iraq. I supported it at the time; I support it now.

We respect and honor very deeply those people who decide to serve their country in the military. But we certainly don't denigrate people who choose a different course, particularly when we have an all-volunteer army.