I think that if Republicans are given the reins of leadership in the House or Senate or both we will have to govern in a way - at least put forward solutions whether or not the president goes along with them or not that deal with these long-term challenges.

You watch television and see what's going on on this debt ceiling issue. And what I consider to be a total lack of leadership from the President and nothing's going to get fixed until the President himself steps up and wrangles both parties in Congress.

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.

Year after year President Bush has broken his campaign promises on college aid. And year after year the Republican leadership in Congress has let him do it.

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.

The important thing is that we recognize our President's leadership that he is not saying: I am going to walk away from this. He is saying: I am going to do the right thing.

I am proud of the President's leadership. I am proud to support him in saying: Yes we are going to do what is necessary now when it is less painful and less expensive.

We shouldn't be debating whether to deal with the current code by allowing it to be extended or not. We should have a president who shows leadership and comes to Congress and says: 'You know what? We need to reform this whole tax code.'

When President Obama was in the Senate when he was a U.S. senator he voted against raising the debt ceiling. And he said it was a lack of leadership that had brought us to this point.