“Let’s means-test benefits – let’s means-test Social Security and Medicare and make the rich pay more for these benefits.”

The Democrats promised equalizing outcomes through unlimited federal assistance while Republicans offered something that seemed less tangible – the promise of equalizing opportunity through free markets.

You can not be a conservative if you’re going to keep promoting new programs that you’re not going to pay for.

The history of African-American repression in this country rose from government-sanctioned racism. Jim Crow laws were a product of bigoted state and local governments.

You know, when Republicans were in charge, we doubled the debt. But, now, our concern is the Democrats are in charge and they’re tripling the debt. So, really, our concern is that we want smaller government.

We are borrowing $40,000 per second.

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t tell me that you’re taxed enough already, and that you want constitutional government and then in the next breath say, ‘Bring me home some bacon.’ The pig has been picked clean.

We must always embrace individual liberty and enforce the constitutional rights of all Americans-rich and poor, immigrant and native, black and white.

I don’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, there is something profoundly un-American about using the brute force of government to bully someone.

Bipartisanship is not what is missing in Washington. Common sense is.

The only way to save Social Security is to raise the retirement age.

And when the time is right, I hope that African Americans will again look to the party of emancipation, civil liberty, and individual freedom.

No president has the right to say he is judge, jury and executioner.

The state doesn’t own your children. Parents own the children.

In a free society we will tolerate boorish people, who have abhorrent behavior, but if we’re civilized people we publicly criticize that and don’t belong to those groups or associate with those people.

If our freedom is taken, the American dream will wither and die.

The U.S. should never get involved where we have no clear national interest. We should not intervene militarily in a country like Syria, where we can’t separate friend from foe and might end up arming the very people who hate us the most.

There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.

I’m making a conscious choice to see challenges as beneficial so that I can deal with them in the most productive way.

Even those who do not, or cannot, avail themselves of a scientific education, choose to benefit from the technology that is made possible by the scientific education of others.

Politicians are making deals for their benefit. Now we are going to make the deals for the American people.

Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache, carries with it the Seed of an equivalent or greater Benefit.

Philosophy itself cannot but benefit from our disputes, for if our conceptions prove true, new achievements will be made; if false, their refutation will further confirm the original doctrines.

Money is not a motivating factor. Money doesn’t thrill me or make me play better because there are benefits to being wealthy. I’m just happy with a ball at my feet.

We must take care of our minds because we cannot benefit from beauty when our brains are missing.