Barack Obama quotes

“My job is not to represent Washington to you, but to represent you to Washington.”

— Barack Obama

“Now, anybody who thinks that we can move this economy forward with just a few folks at the top doing well, hoping that it's going to trickle down to working people who are running faster and faster just to keep up, you'll never see it.”

— Barack Obama

“The Bush Administration's failure to be consistently involved in helping Israel achieve peace with the Palestinians has been both wrong for our friendship with Israel, as well as badly damaging to our standing in the Arab world.”

— Barack Obama

“Where the stakes are the highest, in the war on terror, we cannot possibly succeed without extraordinary international cooperation. Effective international police actions require the highest degree of intelligence sharing, planning and collaborative enforcement.”

— Barack Obama

“For more than four decades, the Libyan people have been ruled by a tyrant - Moammar Gaddafi. He has denied his people freedom, exploited their wealth, murdered opponents at home and abroad, and terrorized innocent people around the world - including Americans who were killed by Libyan agents.”

— Barack Obama

“I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.”

— Barack Obama

“I think that there's no doubt that as I see friends, families, children of gay couples who are thriving, you know, that has an impact on how I think about these issues.”

— Barack Obama

“Let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel's. It will be a strong friend of Israel's under a McCain administration. It will be a strong friend of Israel's under an Obama administration. So that policy is not going to change.”

— Barack Obama

“We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent.”

— Barack Obama

“Community colleges play an important role in helping people transition between careers by providing the retooling they need to take on a new career.”

— Barack Obama

“I don't care whether you're driving a hybrid or an SUV. If you're headed for a cliff, you have to change direction. That's what the American people called for in November, and that's what we intend to deliver.”

— Barack Obama

“Our friends at the Republican convention were more than happy to talk about everything they think is wrong with America, but they didn't have much to say about how they'd make it right. They want your vote, but they don't want you to know their plan.”

— Barack Obama

“But if you - if what - the reports are true, what they're saying is, is that as a consequence of us getting 30 million additional people health care, at the margins that's going to increase our costs, we knew that.”

— Barack Obama

“We proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things and tackling our biggest challenges.”

— Barack Obama

“Since I'm the president and Democrats have controlled the House and the Senate, it's understandable that people are saying, you know, 'What have you done?'”

— Barack Obama

“The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet. The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.”

— Barack Obama

“I've been fighting with Acorn, alongside Acorn, on issues you care about, my entire career.”

— Barack Obama

“What do you think a stimulus is? It's spending - that's the whole point! Seriously.”

— Barack Obama

“You know, my faith is one that admits some doubt.”

— Barack Obama

“As I've said, there were patriots who supported this war, and patriots who opposed it. And all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women, and our hopes for Iraqis' future.”

— Barack Obama

“In December, I agreed to extend the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans because it was the only way I could prevent a tax hike on middle-class Americans. But we cannot afford $1 trillion worth of tax cuts for every millionaire and billionaire in our society. We can't afford it. And I refuse to renew them again.”

— Barack Obama

“In the absence of sound oversight,responsible businesses are forced to compete against unscrupulous and underhanded businesses, who are unencumbered by any restrictions on activities that might harm the environment, or take advantage of middle-class families, or threaten to bring down the entire financial system.”

— Barack Obama

“I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries.”

— Barack Obama

“Contrary to the claims of some of my critics and some of the editorial pages, I am an ardent believer in the free market.”

— Barack Obama

“Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes,' he said, his voice rising as applause and cheers mounted. 'Shake it off. Stop complainin'. Stop grumblin'. Stop cryin'. We are going to press on. We have work to do.”

— Barack Obama

“What I worry about would be that you essentially have two chambers, the House and the Senate, but you have simply, majoritarian, absolute power on either side. And that's just not what the founders intended.”

— Barack Obama

“I cannot swallow whole the view of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator.”

— Barack Obama

“I will continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount.”

— Barack Obama

“John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded.”

— Barack Obama

“I know that campaigns can seem small, and even silly. Trivial things become big distractions. Serious issues become sound bites. And the truth gets buried under an avalanche of money and advertising. If you're sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me - so am I.”

— Barack Obama