There are three critical ingredients to democratic renewal and progressive change in America: good public policy grassroots organizing and electoral politics.

I didn't run for student council president. I don't see myself in any way in elected office. I love policy. I'm not particularly fond of politics.

Good policy makes good politics and what I've done has been good politics.

It's time to let science and medicine not politics and rhetoric lead us to good sound policy.

The lesson of the last year is this: foreign policy can't be managed through the politics of personality and our President would do well to take note of an observation John F. Kennedy made once he was in office - that all of the world's problems aren't his predecessor's fault.

Amnesty is a terrible policy and it's terrible politics. It's a terrible policy because you are rewarding people for breaking the law.

Everyone wants to demagogue everyone else. That may be good politics but it's awful policy.

You have to take away some of tax breaks for the wealthy and you have to cut back on some entitlements. Because unless we do all of these things it just doesn't work. And what's good theater and what's good politics isn't necessarily good economic policy.

You do the policy I'll do the politics.

There is probably a perverse pride in my administration... that we were going to do the right thing even if short-term it was unpopular. And I think anybody who's occupied this office has to remember that success is determined by an intersection in policy and politics and that you can't be neglecting of marketing and P.R. and public opinion.