"But the ability to articulate what you are doing, to be clear about it, and to stick to it is, I think, the essence of political leadership."

"What is important is to believe in something so strongly that you're never discouraged."

"I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that's not what America's about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don't contract them."

"Wars will remain while human nature remains. I believe in my soul in cooperation, in arbitration but the soldier's occupation we cannot say is gone until human nature is gone."

"I still believe in the possibility of the United States, with all its will and all its strength, and I don't just mean military, persevering against any challenge. I still believe in that."