“Outside events can change a presidential campaign, a president, and the history of the nation: the Iranian hostage crisis, the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, the downing of the helicopter in Mogadishu, Somalia, the suicide attack on the USS Cole, and, of course, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.” CoursesNationsPresidentEventsCrisisSuicideCampaignsTerroristPresidentialMarineBombingIranianHostageTerrorist AttacksHelicoptersPresidential CampaignSomaliaSept 11BeirutDowningHostage CrisisMogadishu Author:Mark McKinnon
“Reconciliation is what takes place, of course, at higher levels. President Karzai has been very clear about the red lines for reconciliation, accept the constitution, lay down their weapons, cut their ties with al Qaeda and essentially become productive or at least participating members of society in that regard.” Has BeensCoursesPresidentLinesLevelsAcceptingClearCuttingHigherMembersWeaponsRedConstitutionRegardLaysTiesProductiveAlsReconciliationAl QaedaParticipatingHigher LevelRed Lines Author:David Petraeus
“The president really shouldn't be involved in terms of dictating what course the investigation should take.” ShouldCoursesPresidentTermInvolvedInvestigationDictating Author:Janet Reno
“To his lasting credit, President Reagan never wavered. He recognized the strategic importance of staying the course, both in terms of denying Moscow the military hegemony it sought in Western Europe and of restoring the will, cohesiveness, and security of the NATO alliance, so badly frayed during the turbulent 1970s.” CoursesPresidentTermSecurityMilitaryEuropeImportanceWesternCreditStayingLastingStrategicAlliancesNatoMoscowRestoringHegemonyWestern EuropePresident ReaganCohesiveness Author:Frank Gaffney
“Over the weekend, of course, down there in Washington, D.C., they had the big White House Correspondents' Dinner. Do you know who was really funny? President Obama. So funny, in fact, he has already been promised 'The Tonight Show' in five years.” KnowsYearsFactsShowsBigsCoursesHousePresidentWhiteFiveDinnerFive YearsTonightWhite HouseDo You KnowPresident ObamaWeekend Author:David Letterman
“President Bush is often out there talking about the importance of staying the course, and about the sacrifice, but he has not attended a funeral of a soldier who has fallen in Iraq.” CoursesPresidentTalkingSacrificeImportanceSoldierIraqFallenStayingFuneralPresident Bush Author:Dana Milbank
“Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the president, the vice president and the secretary of state, in that order, and should the president decide he wants to transfer the helm to the vice president, he will do so. As for now, I'm in control here, in the White House.” IfsWantShouldStatesOrderCoursesHousePresidentWhiteReturnVicesChecksGentlemanWhite HouseSecretaryTransfersVice PresidentHelmPending Author:Alexander Haig
“The White House announced that President Obama will attend a summit in Kenya this July. When asked if he's ever been to Kenya, Obama said, 'Of course. I was born - no, bored - over there. There's nothing to do in Kenya.'” IfsSaidCoursesHousePresidentBornWhiteBoredWhite HousePresident ObamaSummitJulyKenya Author:Jimmy Fallon
“During the CPAC conference, Rand Paul told the crowd it was time for a new president and that people need to help make the change. Of course, most people agreed with him, since that's how term limits work.” PeopleNeedsHelpingCoursesPresidentTermLimitsCrowdsConferencesTerm Limits Author:Jimmy Fallon
“The film 'Boyhood' won the Golden Globe for best drama. It follows one guy's journey over the course of 12 years - or as Mitt Romney calls that, 'running for president.'” YearsRunningFilmGuyCoursesPresidentJourneyDramaGoldenGlobesRomneyBoyhood Author:Jimmy Fallon
“During a recent interview, President Obama revealed that his favorite movie this year was 'Boyhood.' It makes sense. If there's one thing Obama can identify with, it's aging several years over the course of a couple of hours.” IfsYearsCoursesPresidentHoursOne ThingCoupleAgingMake SenseInterviewsPresident ObamaBoyhood Author:Jimmy Fallon
“The meeting with Prince William took place at the White House because Prince William wanted to see where the president spent his days, but the golf course was covered in snow.” WantedCoursesHousePresidentWhiteMeetingsGolfSnowWhite HouseCoveredGolf Course Author:Craig Ferguson
“I believe that this Republic will endure for many centuries. If so there will doubtless be among its Presidents Protestants and Catholics, and very probably at some time, Jews. I have consistently tried while President to act in relation to my fellow Americans of Catholic faith as I hope that any future President who happens to be Catholic will act towards his fellow Americans of Protestant faith. Had I followed any other course I should have felt that I was unfit to represent the American people.” PeopleIfsShouldBelieveHappensCoursesI BelieveFeltPresidentAtheismCenturyShould HaveRelationCatholicFellowsEndureJewPositive AtheismRepublicConsistentlyProtestantsCatholic Faith Book:Letters of Theodore Roosevelt: The big stick, 1905-1909 Source: Letters of Theodore Roosevelt: The big stick, 1905-1909
“Eunice Kennedy Shriver, President Kennedy's sister, endorsed Arnold Schwarzenegger, said he's not a womanizer. Of course by Kennedy standards that means he never drove one off a bridge.” MeanSaidCoursesPresidentStandardsBridgesSchwarzeneggerPresident KennedyWomanizer Author:Bill Maher
“I am a political recidivist. An incorrigible, repeat voter. A career lever-pusher. My electoral rap sheet is as long as your arm. Over the course of three decades, I have voted for presidents and school board members. I have voted in high hopes and high dudgeon. I have voted in favor of candidates and merely against their opponents. I have voted for propositions written with such complexity that I needed Noam Chomsky to deconstruct their meaning. I have been a single-issue voter and a marginal voter. I have even voted for people who ran unopposed. Hold an election and I'll be there.” PeopleLongHas BeensSchoolPoliticalThreeCoursesPresidentCareersIssuesWrittenArmsNeededMembersElectionRapDecadesFavorsRanBoardsOpponentsComplexityRepeatsCandidatesVotersSheetsPropositionsLeversIncorrigibleSchool BoardBoard Members Author:Ellen Goodman
“This president Barack Obama has done more for the LGBT community than any president in history. It's just an objective fact. And his legacy is secure in terms of the advancement of the rights of the LGBT community, from 'Don't Ask', 'Don't Tell' to his support for overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, and of course marriage equality, work on HIV and AIDS, and other things.” DoneFactsCoursesAsksPresidentTermCommunitySupportRightsDefenseAidsObjectivesSecureLegacyLgbtPresident ObamaAdvancementHivMarriage EqualityLgbt Community Author:Gavin Newsom
“Trying every day to tell the truth is hard. There are harder things, of course - arguably, living with lies and meaninglessness, living in despair is harder, but it's hardship disguised as luxury and easier perhaps to grow accustomed to, since truth is usually the enemy of custom. There are harder things than writing, being President Obama, for instance, and having to deal with House Republicans, or trying to fix the leak at the Fukushima reactor, these are harder, but writing is hard.” WritingTryingHardLyingCoursesHouseGrowsPresidentDealsEnemyEasierRepublicanTruth IsDespairHarderInstanceLuxuryTelling The TruthHardshipCustomsPresident ObamaAccustomedLeaksMeaninglessnessFukushima Author:Tony Kushner
“Even if people aren't Republicans, it doesn't seem shocking to them that Ronald Reagan was the president. Well of course, because Arnold Schwarzenegger was the governor! This is not only a bar too low, this is no bar at all. I don't care who you are, you know 20 people smarter than Ronald Reagan. You know 20 people who would be a better president than Ronald Reagan.” PeopleIfsKnowsWellsSeemsWould BeCareCoursesPresidentRepublicanLowsWho You AreDon't CareBarsI Don't CareGovernorsSmarterShockingSchwarzenegger Author:Fran Lebowitz
“The White House begun airing their TV commercials to re-elect the president, and the John Kerry campaign is condemning his use of 9/11 in the ads. He said, it is unconscionable to use the tragic memory of a war in order to get elected, unless of course, it's the Vietnam War.” SaidWarUseOrderCoursesHousePresidentMemoriesWhiteTvsCampaignsTragicWhite HouseVietnamAdsVietnam WarJohn KerryCondemningTv Commercial Author:Jay Leno
“Texas Governor Rick Perry now says his wife has been encouraging him to run for President. Remember first he told us God told him to run; now his wife is telling him to run. Of course, the big difference; if you ignore what God says you don't have to hear about it until the afterlife. That's the only difference.” IfsFirstsHas BeensBigsRunningRememberCoursesPresidentDifferencesWifeTexasAfterlifeGovernors Author:Jay Leno
“President Obama's been reaching out to Iran, reaching out to Cuba, reaching out to Latin America. The only place he can't seem to be able to reach out to: Texas. ... Despite Governor Rick Perry talking about how Texas could secede from the Union if it wanted to, 75 per cent of the people who live there want to stay in the United States. Of course they want to stay. I mean, after spending all that time and effort sneaking across the border to get here, why would they want to leave?” PeopleIfsWantMeanStatesSeemsAbleWantedAmericaCoursesPresidentUnitedEffortTalkingUnited StatesUnionsSpendingDespiteBordersReachingIranLatinTexasPresident ObamaReach OutCentsGovernorsCubaLatin America Author:Jay Leno
“A new poll found that 43 percent of Americans think President Obama is doing a good job at handling the BP oil spill. Of course, the same poll found that 43 percent of Americans hate pelicans.” ThinkingJobsHateCoursesFoundPresidentPercentOilPresident ObamaGood JobPollsSpillsOil SpillPelicans Author:Jimmy Fallon
“Bin Laden was once targeted by President Clinton. President Clinton wanted to kill him but couldn't get him. Of course not, we all know what kind of aim Clinton has.” KnowsKindWantedCoursesPresidentAimClintonBin LadenPresident Clinton Author:Jay Leno
“It was a tough press conference for President Bush. He spent the first ten minutes trying to pronounce Fallujah. ... Bush insisted that Iraq is not Vietnam. Of course not, he avoided Vietnam.” TryingFirstsCoursesPresidentMinutesTenToughPressesIraqVietnamConferencesAvoidedPresident BushPress Conferences Author:David Letterman
“The Democrats say that President Bush doesn't have an exit strategy for Iraq. Of course he does. If things don't go well, he exits in November.” IfsWellsDoeCoursesPresidentStrategyDemocratIraqPresident BushExitNovember Author:Jay Leno
“President Bush said he was 'troubled' by gay people getting married in San Francisco. He said on important issues like this the people should make the decision, not judges. Unless of course we're choosing a president, then he prefers judges.” PeopleShouldSaidImportantCoursesPresidentDecisionIssuesJudgingGayMarriedSan FranciscoPresident BushGay PeopleGetting MarriedImportant Issues Author:Jay Leno
“In his annual economic report to Congress President Bush said that the transfer of American jobs overseas is actually part of a positive transformation that will enrich the U.S. economy over time. So basically, losing your job to someone else can be a good thing. Of course we'll see how he feels about that in November.” FeelsSaidJobsCoursesPresidentEconomyEconomicLosingTransformationGood ThingsCongressReportsPresident BushNovemberTransfersAnnualsAmerican Jobs Author:Jay Leno
“The great thing about not being president anymore is I can say whatever I want, about anything. Of course [now], nobody really cares what I say. And now I have the worst of all worlds -- my wife has become the secretary of state, so no one really cares what I say -- unless I mess up.” WorldWantI CanStatesCareCoursesPresidentWifeWorstMy WifeGreat ThingsMessSecretary Author:William J. Clinton
“The president is the cube of ice one places in the pot of a houseplant, providing a steady amount of nourishment over the course of a hot day. A good description of the job and also a fantastic bit of practical household advice.” JobsCoursesBitsPresidentAdviceAmountHotPracticalsIceFantasticDescriptionPotSteadyHouseholdProvidingNourishmentCubesHot Days Author:Abraham Lincoln
“Edgar Wayburn has worked to preserve the most breath-taking examples of the American landscape. In fact, over the course of more than a half-century, both as President of the Sierra Club and as a private citizen, he has saved more of our wilderness than any person alive.” PersonsFactsCoursesPresidentHalfAliveCenturyExampleCitizensBreathsClubsSavedLandscapePreservesWildernessSierraAmerican Landscape Author:William J. Clinton
“I think it's understandable that when questions are raised, people maybe are thinking about them and wondering about them, but I have every confidence that during the course of this campaign, people are going to know who will fight for them, who will be there when they need them, and that's the kind of person I am and that's what I will do, not only in a campaign but as president.” PeopleThinkingKnowsNeedsKindPersonsFightingCoursesPresidentWonderConfidenceRaisedCampaigns Author:Hillary Clinton
“No president in history has been more vilified or was more vilivied during the time he was President than Lincoln. Those who knew him, his secretaries, have written that he was deeply hurt by what was said about him and drawn about him, but on the other hand, Lincoln had the great strength of character never to display it, always able to stand tall and strong and firm no matter how harsh or unfair the criticism might be. These elements of greatness, of course, inspire us all today.” Has BeensSaidMatterCharacterHandsMightTodayAbleCoursesStrongPresidentHurtWrittenStrengthGreatnessInspireElementsCriticismFirmTallDisplayUnfairSecretaryHarshStrength Of CharacterDeeply Hurt Author:Richard M. Nixon
“I'd still like to be the President, of course, and I think the best way to do that would be to raise an army and seize the Capital. This strikes me as true democracy.” ThinkingWayStillsWould BeCoursesPresidentDemocracyArmyRaisesStrikesBest WayTrue Democracy Author:Gore Vidal
“I think that by the time I start writing the third book, of course, I will be President Of The United States, and that also will have something to do with it. I'll probably have to acknowledge that somehow.” ThinkingWritingBookStatesCoursesPresidentUnitedUnited StatesThirdsAcknowledge Author:John Hodgman
“Civil disobedience can help to focus attention on a particular injustice. It was used historically to highlight wrongs in society - turning ancient redwood forests into paper towels or preventing people from sitting down at lunch counters because of the color of their skin. On climate change, we have not seen strong leadership coming from Washington, DC.In particular the president has an enormous opportunity to follow up on his inaugural speech with a concerted course of action to aggressively take on a clean energy transition.” PeopleHelpingActionUsedCoursesOpportunityEnergyStrongPresidentAttentionFocusParticularColorSpeechPaperSittingSkinsCleanClimateClimate ChangeInjusticeAncientEnormousForestsTransitionLunchDisobediencePreventingCivil DisobedienceHighlightsSitting DownTowelsClean EnergyInauguralWashington DcRedwoodsFollow UpInaugural SpeechPaper Towels Author:Michael Brune
“Donald Trump called George W. Bush 'the worst president in the history of the United States.' Then he added, 'Until, of course, I'm elected.'” StatesCoursesPresidentUnitedUnited StatesWorstTrump Author:Conan O'Brien
“We will stay the course until the job is done, Steve. And the temptation is to try to get the President or somebody to put a timetable on the definition of getting the job done. We're just going to stay the course.” TryingDoneJobsCoursesPresidentDefinitionsTemptationTimetables Author:George W. Bush