When you are in local government, you are on the ground, and you are looking into the eyes and hearts of the people you are there to serve. It teaches you to listen; it teaches you to be expansive in the people with whom you talk to, and I think that that engagement gives you political judgment.
We don't want to get distracted by looking back; we need to move forward.
Overcoming adversity not only makes you stronger, it makes you more hopeful.
We need to be investing in manufacturing and small businesses. We need to be creating a workforce where Americans can compete in a global marketplace because they have the necessary skills. And we need fairness, and we need a sustainable, strong economy that's durable for the future.
Each generation has an obligation to pick up the baton. We want young people to feel a sense of responsibility to take that baton and run with it.
What makes a lot of sense is that, while people are incarcerated, give them the tools they need to be able to have a productive, lucrative living when they leave so they can provide for their families and break that cycle of recidivism.
Part of what makes America strong is our resilience, tenacity, innovation and our willingness to be optimistic about our future. I know that President Obama is absolutely the best president to lead our country in the right direction.
President Obama celebrates diversity, yet instinctively seeks common ground and builds on that common ground to make progress.
I still vividly remember the moment I let go of an embrace with my daughter on her college campus - that, in her opinion, probably lasted far too long. I left the most precious thing in my life in the care of an institution, and that's a very hard thing to do.
I don't want to just tell my story - I want to share the experiences, life lessons, and values that have shaped who I am and my ideas for the future.
We want to make sure that we incentivize the health care system to be designed to provide you the best quality health care possible.
Our whole philosophy is one of transparency.
What do we do to just rebuild and focus on creating a big and inclusive tent, where we're focusing on making sure every child gets that fair shot, that every woman gets to compete on a level playing field, that we are true to the core values of our country, and we're making sure that we honor those values?
Given the daunting challenges that we face, it's important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.
Encouraging the next generation is really where my heart is.
Our democracy... is only as good as the American people demand it should be.
If I take a bump or bruise along the way, that's nothing compared to the sacrifices that the women whose shoulders I stand upon made along the way.
President Obama stands ready to work with everyone, because that's what the American people expect and deserve - not for the short term political advantages, but the long term health of our country. We don't spend time trying to figure out what's in the minds of Republicans, we try to keep our focus on the American people.
The American people want change. They don't want the same old health care system that's not affordable, that doesn't offer coverage to everybody, that keeps escalating in cost. And what we've seen from the Republicans is, really, a desire to have the status quo.
When you break glass ceilings, you're going to get minor scrapes by a shard or two from the glass.
