We are the only country in the world that has taken people from so many different backgrounds, which is a great achievement by itself, but an even greater achievement is that we have turned all of that variety and diversity into unity.

September 11 is one of our worst days but it brought out the best in us. It unified us as a country and showed our charitable instincts and reminded us of what we stood for and stand for.

Every day before school, I would bang away on Czerny, Bach, Beethoven and Mozart-and throw in a little Jerry Lee Lewis when I thought no one was around to correct me.

We do all the appropriating. They do not do any of it down at the White House. They send a budget up here, and we don't have to pay any attention it to at all. We do what we want to do.

In Washington, DC, Democrats still stuck in the New Deal are reflexively searching for national solutions to local problems. We Republicans, having found ourselves in charge, have decided it is more blessed to impose our views rather than to liberate America from Washington's views.

Sooner or later, I need to begin to do what any candidate does in a presidential race; I need to begin to win.

As Governor, I could think of only one way to unify our State that was made up of so many different climates, political beliefs and people, and that was our music.

The job of mayor and Governor is becoming more and more like the job of university president, which I used to be; it looks like you are in charge, but you are not.

Put too many one-size-fits-all jackets on Americans and the place explodes.