It is always dangerous to generalize, but the American people, while infinitely generous, are a hard and strong race and, but for the few cemeteries I have seen, I am inclined to think they never die.

Symbols are the imaginative signposts of life.

It is easier to influence strong than weak characters in life.

The capacity to suffer varies more than anything that I have observed in human nature.

Everybody wants to talk about sectarian conflicts of the war in Iraq, but the fact of the matter is, Sunnis have lived with Shias in harmony more in the confines of Iraq, in that land, than they have been in conflict. That's an historical fact.

It was a mistake. On the information we had, we shouldn't have prosecuted the war. We shouldn't have changed our argument from international law to regime change in a non-transparent way. It was an error for which we as a country paid a heavy price, and for which many people paid with their lives.

Nothing binds a people to their leader like a common enemy. Voters don't change governments during war.

The misconception that aid falls straight into the hands of dictators largely stems from the Cold War era.