"Shock, confusion, fear, anger, grief, and defiance. On Sept. 11, 2001, and for the three days following the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, President George W. Bush led with raw emotion that reflected the public's whipsawing stages of acceptance."

"By nominating Chuck Hagel to be his Defense secretary, President Obama is putting forward an aloof contrarian who doesn't suffer fools - a striving politician who considers himself above politics."

"One side of the American psyche wants smaller government, lower taxes, and more choices for individuals, even if those choices increase risk. The other wants a strong social safety net to protect the weakest among us, even if it costs more to minimize risk."

"Obama is capable - as evidenced by his first-term success with health care reform. But mandate-building requires humility, a trait not easily associated with him."

"All human actions are equivalent and all are on principle doomed to failure."

"In the depths of adversity, every failure is just a stepping stone to greatness."

"Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street."

"At the end of the day we want to bring stability and hope to Iraq. That's the only way to defeat terrorism."