In Obama's Words

Obama speaks at House Republican retreat in Baltimore

Now, I understand some of you had some philosophical differences, perhaps, on just the concept of government spending, but as I recall, opposition was declared before we had a chance to actually meet and exchange ideas. And I saw that as a missed opportunity.”

• Other issues:Defense, Economy, Education, Foreign Policy, Government and Politics, Health Care, National Security and Intelligence

Obama holds a news conference

I can tell you that, you know, some election nights are more fun than others. Some are exhilarating, some are humbling.”

Obama holds a news conference

I would love nothing more than to see Congress act so aggressively that I can't campaign against them as a do-nothing Congress.”

• Other issues:Economy

Obama interview with 60 Minutes

...there's a reason why our healthcare system hasn't been reformed over the last several decades, why every president talks about it and it never happens, because it's hard. It's a huge, big, complicated system. I made the decision to go ahead and do it, and it proved as costly politically as we expected, probably actually a little more costly than we expected politically.”

• Other issues:Arts and Entertainment, Defense, Economy, Energy and Environment, Foreign Policy, Government and Politics, Health Care, Homeland Security, Immigration, Other

Obama holds question and answer session with Senate Democrats

• Other issues:Government and Politics

Obama holds a news conference on the debt negotiations

And we were consistent in that. So I want to be clear. I'm not suggesting that, you know, we had an agreement that was signed, sealed and delivered. The parties were still apart as recently as yesterday. But when you look at the overall package, there's no changing of the goalposts here. There has been a consistency on our part in saying; we're willing to make the tough cuts and we're willing to take on the heat for those difficult cuts.”

• Other issues:Economy, Government and Politics

Obama holds a news conference

This is a big, diverse country. Not everybody agrees with us. I know that shocks people. You know, the New York Times editorial page does not permeate across all of America. Neither does The Wall Street Journal editorial page.”

• Other issues:Economy, Government and Politics

Obama holds news conference

...although this may be one individual in Florida, part of my concern is to make sure that we don't start having a whole bunch of folks all across the country think this is the way to get attention.”

Obama delivers remarks at a DNC “Moving America Forward” Rally

We've got to finish what we started in 2008. Because if everybody who fought so hard for change in 2008 shows up to vote in 2010, I am absolutely confident we will win. And most of the polls say the same thing.”

• Other issues:Government and Politics

Obama holds a town hall meeting in Decorah, Iowa

I want you to help hold all of us accountable, me included. I am enlisting you in this fight, because if you are -- if you're making your voices heard, if you're letting people know that enough is enough, it is time to move forward, it is time for us to win the future -- if your voices are heard, then sooner or later these guys have to start paying attention. And if they don't start paying attention then they're not going to be in office and we will have a new Congress in there that will start paying attention to what is going on all across America.”

• Other issues:Economy

Obama holds White House press conference

This is the most significant arms control agreement in nearly two decades.”

• Other issues:Agriculture, Defense, Economy, Government and Politics, National Security and Intelligence

Obama holds news conference on debt ceiling negotiations

Look, what we've been obsessing over the last couple of weeks about raising the debt ceiling and reducing the debt and deficit -- I tell you what the American people are obsessing about right now is that unemployment is still way too high and too many folks' homes are still underwater, and prices of things that they need, not just that they want, are going up a lot faster than their paychecks are if they've got a job.”

• Other issues:Economy

Obama delivers speech on the national debt

...without even looking at a poll, my finely honed political instincts tell me that almost nobody believes they should be paying higher taxes.”

• Other issues:Government and Politics

Obama holds a news conference on his 2012 budget proposal

What we've done is we've taken a scalpel to the discretionary budget, rather than a machete.”

• Other issues:Economy, Foreign Policy, Government and Politics

Obama holds news conference on debt ceiling negotiations

So this is not a right or left, conservative-liberal situation. This is how do we operate in a smart way, understanding that we've got some short-term challenges and some long-term challenges. If we can solve some of those long-term challenges, that frees up some of our energies to be able to deal with some of these short-term ones as well.”

• Other issues:Economy, Government and Politics

Obama holds a news conference

There are a lot of folks out there who are still struggling with the effects of the recession. Many people are still looking for work or looking for a job that pays more. Families are wondering how they deal with a broken refrigerator or a busted transmission or how they're going to finance their kids' college education, and they're also worrying about the possibility of layoffs. The struggles of middle-class families were a big problem before the recession hit in 2007. They weren't created overnight, and the truth is our economic challenges are not going to be solved overnight.”

• Other issues:Defense, Economy, Foreign Policy, Immigration, National Security and Intelligence, Social Issues

Obama delivers remarks at a DNC rally

I know that during the campaign, especially after we had already started winning, the feeling was, well, this is just exciting. You got those nice Hope posters, and then there was the inauguration, and you got Beyonce singing and Bono.”

• Other issues:Government and Politics

Obama and Biden delivers remarks at a DNC “Moving America Forward” rally in Cleveland

There is absolutely no reason that China should have faster railroads, that Singapore should have newer airports. We're the nation that built the transcontinental railroad. We're the nation that built the Interstate Highway System.”

• Other issues:Government and Politics

Obama delivers remarks at a campaign fundraiser at the Apollo Theater in Harlem

to know that Reverend Al Green was here -- "I'm so in love with you" -- Those guys didn't think I would do it. I told you I was going to do it. The Sandman did not come out. Don't worry, Rev., I cannot sing like you. But I just wanted to show my appreciation.”

• Other issues:Government and Politics

Obama delivers remarks on jobs and infrastructure in Washington

Everybody here, we are Americans; we're not people who sit back and watch things happening. And if Congress tells you they don't have time, they've got time to do it. We've been -- in the House of Representatives, what -- what have you guys been debating, John? You've been debating a commemorative coin for baseball? You had legislation reaffirming that "In God we trust" is our motto? That's not putting people back to work. I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work.”

• Other issues:Economy, Government and Politics