In the United States we spend millions of dollars on sports because it promotes teamwork discipline and the experience of learning to make great progress in small increments. Learning to play music does all this and more.

I make personal appearances around the country. I'm starting a book tour now and I may be coming to Toronto with the Learning Annex which I'm doing all through the United States so that may come up just before Christmas.

I grew up in the southern United States in a city which at that time during the late '40's and early '50's was the most segregated city in the country and in a sense learning how to oppose the status quo was a question of survival.

I've seen a lot of the United States having stayed in so many different cities and towns for work. It's such a strange and fascinating country and instead of learning about it through a textbook I would rather discover its history and traditions and institutions through fiction and nonfiction writers.

In the same way that we need statesmen to spare us the abjection of exercising power we need scholars to spare us the abjection of learning.

At an unprecedented time with the worst attack ever on our soil our President displayed extraordinary determination leadership and resolve when history was thrust upon him and the United States.

The United States is the most innovative country in the world. But our leadership could slip away if we fail to properly fund primary secondary and higher education.

One of the things about leadership is that you've got to show up. And if you want to be president of the United States you've got to make a case to the American people that Barack Obama needs to be dismissed from his position.

The conduct of President Bush's war of choice has been plagued with incompetent civilian leadership decisions that have cost many lives and rendered the war on and occupation of Iraq a strategic policy disaster for the United States.

Under the leadership of President Bush and Vice President Cheney the United States has given up the moral high ground that we used to occupy as an international leader.