Page << | >> December 15, 2008 "You know, Larry, ever since I became a cancer survivor, I feel like I got famous, I got cancer and I lived to help people. And I've kind of made this my life mission. I've been very active in Washington for years now. And I -- I just feel like I would represent the New York people really well... "And I enjoy the Senate. And I like working with senators. And I feel like that branch is more bipartisan. And I've actually been encouraged by senior senators on both sides of the party lines to pursue this -- that I would make an excellent senator... "And I think that I'm pretty authentic. And I love the State of New York." Activist and actress Fran Drescher on Larry King Live speaking about her candidacy for Senator Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, December 15, 2008. December 9, 2008 "The key for us is making sure that we jump-start that economy in a way that doesn't just deal with the short term, doesn't just create jobs immediately, but also puts us on a glide path for long-term, sustainable economic growth. And that's why I spoke in my radio address on Saturday about the importance of investing in the largest infrastructure program--in roads and bridges and, and other traditional infrastructure--since the building of the federal highway system in the 1950s; rebuilding our schools and making sure that they're energy efficient; making sure that we're investing in electronic medical records and other technologies that can drive down health care costs. All those things are not only immediate--part of an immediate stimulus package to the economy, but they're also down payments on the kind of long-term, sustainable growth that we need.... "You know, tomorrow, you had mentioned earlier, is when we commemorate Pearl Harbor, and so I'm going to be making announcement tomorrow about the head of our Veterans Administration, General Eric Shinseki, who was a commander and has fought in Vietnam, Bosnia, is, is somebody who has achieved the highest level of military service. He has agreed that he is willing to be part of this administration because both he and I share a reverence for those who serve...And I think that General Shinseki is exactly the right person who's going to be able to make sure that we honor our troops when they come home." President-elect Barack Obama speaking on Meet the Press with Tom Brokaw, December 7, 2008. December 1, 2008 "They would not have agreed to join my administration and I would not have asked them to be part of this administration unless we shared a core vision of what's needed to keep the American people safe and to assure prosperity here at home and peace abroad. I think all of us here share the belief that we have to maintain the strongest military on the planet, that we have to support our troops and make sure that they are properly trained, properly equipped, that they are provided with a mission that allows them to succeed. "All of us here also agree that the strength of our military has to be combined with the wisdom and force of our diplomacy, and that we are going to be committed to rebuilding and strengthening alliances around the world to advance American interests and American security. "And so in discussions with this entire team, what I am excited about is a consensus, not only among those of us standing here today, but I think across a broad section of the American people, that now is the time for us to regain American leadership in all its dimensions. And I am very confident that each of these individuals are not going to be leaving the outstanding work that they are currently doing, if they weren't convinced that they could work as an effective team. "One last point I will make: I assembled this team because I'm a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions. I think that's how the best decisions are made. One of the dangers in a White House, based on my reading of history, is that you get wrapped up in groupthink and everybody agrees with everything and there's no discussion and there are no dissenting views. So I'm going to be welcoming a vigorous debate inside the White House. "But understand, I will be setting policy as president. I will be responsible for the vision that this team carries out, and I expect them to implement that vision once decisions are made. "So, as Harry Truman said, the buck will stop with me." President-elect Barack Obama speaking a press conference in Chicago, Illinois at which he introduced his national security cabinent members, December 1, 2008. Page << | >>
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