"They said it was impossible to touch the third rail of politics, to take on public-sector unions and to reform a pension and health benefits system that was headed to bankruptcy. But with bipartisan leadership, we saved taxpayers $132 billion dollars over 30 years and saved retirees their pensions. We did it."

"I believe we have become paralyzed, paralyzed by our desire to be loved. Now our founding fathers had the wisdom to know that social acceptance and popularity were fleeing, and that this country's principles needed to be rooted in strengths greater than the passions and the emotions of the times."

"It's not that I'm universally loved. We know I'm not in New Jersey. But what they do say in New Jersey is, 'We like him, and we think he's telling us the truth.' I think we need to have that type of politics on the national level."

"I don't think there's anybody in America who thinks my personality is best suited to being Number Two."

"Things that I felt absolutely sure of but a few years ago, I do not believe now. This thought makes me see more clearly how foolish it would be to expect all men to agree with me."

"I'm absolutely not looking for someone who agrees with me about everything or someone who wants to please me by believing what I believe."

"A lot of food shows need only to tempt. Some food shows only need to inspire, to empower. And there are a lot of shows that do that."

"No man is truly great who is great only in his lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history."