The President [Barack Obama] is very focused on [healthcare]. He, of course, is also writing this speech at high speed. And right coming up until the speech, he is convinced that a full plan, letter and verse of what the administration wants, will be released.

A little known area often defines the fortunes of leaders -- management skills.

By virtue of some of the ways the game is played, in terms of message discipline, in terms of access for reporters, and especially in the way that sources and subjects, especially famous subjects, treat the media, almost by default there's more news that's falling into books.

Confidence is the immaterial residue of material actions. Confidence is the public face of competence.

All of the leading terrorism experts are clear on one thing: that in terms of protecting America, we are almost never going to know a place or a time of an attack.

Younger colleagues tended to draw untested self-confidence from their bonuses and prestigious degrees.

Many years later, a psychiatrist friend of mine said something to us. He said, "Respect denial." It's a powerful force.