There has, indeed, been very substantial progress in Iraq over the past year - violence is down by 80 percent, civilian deaths by about the same, and so on.

People often ask, why aren't you reading about what it is you're working on right now? And the truth is, you only get three pages a night before your eyelids close.

The job of the leader is to get the big ideas right.

I am not a politician, and I will never be, and I say that with absolute conviction.

After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair.

Political progress will only take place if sufficient security exists.

The fact is that Iran doesn't want to see the Taliban come back any more than do most Afghan citizens.

I'm living the dream.

Every civilian's death diminishes us, collectively.

Don't forget Yemen, where there are also extremist elements, as we saw recently.

I think Putin wants to recreate as much of the Soviet Union as he can through a variety of different means. He's invaded parts of Georgia, took Crimea, southeastern Ukraine, bases in other countries.

Every small good deed counts.

Morality does not help me. I am a born antinomian...I see that there is nothing wrong in what one does. I see that there is something wrong in what one becomes.

Awakened by the oppressive midday heat, Zach opened his eyes to see a small blue and tan lizard doing what looked like push-ups about a foot away from his face.

I think the worst sort of time travel is how the clock speeds up when I'm on my break.

Those men get along best with women who can get along best without them.

The literati in their cellarsPerform semantic tarantellas.I wish I did it half as well as them.

by the general love of scandal and detraction in Dublin, one might reasonably imagine they were all to feed themselves through the holes which they had made in the characters of others.

There is nothing wrong in wanting to get rich. The desire for riches is really the desire for a richer, fuller, and more abundant life, and that desire is praise worthy.

Oftentimes people get it wrong when they say we need to educate voters first and then give them power. I tend to favor giving them power first.