That's one of the major lessons: no president should ever take this nation to war without full public debate in the Congress and/or in the public.

I would characterize current US nuclear weapons policy as immoral, illegal, militarily unnecessary, and dreadfully dangerous

There is no more important task in a democracy than resolving the differences among people and finding a course of action that will be supported by a sufficient number to permit the nation to achieve a better life for all.

They'll be no learning period with nuclear weapons. Make one mistake and you're going to destroy nations.

It was a perfectly beautiful night, as fall nights are in Washington. I walked out of the president's Oval Office, and as I walked out, I thought I might never live to see another Saturday night.

It would be our policy to use nuclear weapons wherever we felt it necessary to protect our forces and achieve our objectives.

Never answer the question that is asked of you. Answer the question that you wish had been asked of you.