"I used to believe, like many people who come from poor backgrounds, that it gave me an edge, but I think that's just something we have to tell ourselves to get by sometimes. I don't believe that anymore. Children of privilege can be just as talented and clever as anybody else."

"I don't know now if I'm funny. I just keep talking and hope that I hit something that's funny."

"I dropped out of high school when I was 16, after I had a huge argument with my English teacher over the meaning of the word 'existentialism.'"

"I came to America, and I made good. It's an old story, but it hasn't been told in a long time. Usually, it's, 'I'm an immigrant, I came here and got persecuted.' My story is I came here, I worked hard, and it worked out all right. So it's still available."

"Of course it's the same old story. Truth usually is the same old story."

"The politics of partisanship and the resulting inaction and excuses have paralyzed decision-making, primarily at the federal level, and the big issues of the day are not being addressed, leaving our future in jeopardy."

"A certificate of live birth is not the same thing by any stretch of the imagination as a birth certificate."

"Luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it."