"I choose bold. I choose action. I choose what's right for the people. I choose to make a difference."

"We as a people, as a state, and as a community, have too much promise, too much potential, and too much at stake to go any other way than forward. We are too strong in our hearts, too innovative in our minds, and too firm in our beliefs to retreat from our goals."

"We're a superpower with a Third World grid."

"We must never forget that it is the private sector - not government - that is the engine of economic opportunity. Businesses, particularly small businesses, flourish and can provide good jobs when government acts as a productive partner."

"As state leaders, I think its important for us to provide our perspectives on issues we face every day - like access to school spending, access to health care and governing in a global economy."

"I've been told that I have a lot of energy. The secret is that I use renewable resources. Some days I'm solar powered. Some days I'm wind powered. And some people in this room might think I'm hybrid gas-powered. You'll just have to guess which it is today."

"Raising a family is difficult enough. But it's even more difficult for single parents struggling to make ends meet. They don't need more obstacles. They need more opportunities."

"Education enables people and societies to be what they can be."

"Ignorance has always been the weapon of tyrants; enlightenment the salvation of the free."

"Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, our nation is stronger when we are respected throughout the world."

"The smartest thing we can do to create high-wage jobs and grow our economy is to keep our focus on education."