“I get a choice every time I have to open my mouth: that it can be with civility and dignity and grace - or not.”

“It's one of my favorite seasons of the year: Back to School. As a kid, I loved fresh school supplies, new outfits, the change of seasons, and the chance to crack open a new textbook.”

“Good governance, safety, a chance to grow economically and professionally - those are important things.”

“I was raised to believe that America was a force for good in the world and that it should take its leadership role seriously.”

“My great-grandmother lived to be 100 years old, so I got to know her. She always sent us birthday cards that had $2 bills inside - we kept them for good luck.”

“There is freedom in forgiveness, and it's not that hard to do once you get into the habit.”

“A small hole in his shirt revealed a gooey red blob right in the meaty part above his armpit, blood pouring from the wound. It hurt. It hurt bad. If hed thought his headache downstairs had been tou...”

“One of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror. ”

“I think war is a dangerous place.”

“On the night of New Years Day, I thought of a wonderful New Years resolution for the men who run the world: get to know the people who only live in it.”

“The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next election while the statesman think about the next generation.”

“He was a consummate politician-- which is to say he was given to expedient speech and lacked even a vestigial spine.”