"I never cut class. I loved getting A's, I liked being smart. I liked being on time. I thought being smart is cooler than anything in the world."

"And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we're all sweating it - when we're worried that the bill won't pass, and it seems like all is lost - Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise. Just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward... with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace."

"We learned about dignity and decency - that how hard you work matters more than how much you make... that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself."

"I am desperate for change - now - not in 8 years or 12 years, but right now."

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."

"The river of time washes away kings and empires, leaving only virtue intact."

"A thousand years scarce serve to form a state; An hour may lay it in the dust."

"You don't have to be singing about love all the time in order to give love to the people. You don't have to keep flashing those words all the time."