The terrorist uses surprise and stealth, and the only way to defeat that is by having accurate and timely intelligence.

We do not have the luxury of two big oceans protecting us as we have had in the past, for we now have a new kind of enemy who deals with stealthiness. Our ability to protect ourselves is having the information ahead of time so we can thwart the attack.

You would have thought that after 9/11 the president would have finished the job in Afghanistan, and kept the focus on capturing Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda deputies, but he and his team gave top priority to their original plan to invade Iraq.

The head of NASA ought to be a space professional, not a politician.

Take care of your inner, spiritual beauty. That will reflect in your face.

I had to learn to forgive. I couldn't sleep at night. I got ulcers. I had to let go, to let God deal with it. No one wants to be mad in their own house. I didn't want to be angry my whole life. It takes so much energy out of you to be mean.

We have one life; it soon will be past; what we do for God is all that will last.

For me, living in the closet corroded my ability to have an honest, open relationship with my God, my loved ones, my constituency and myself.