We're not winning in Iraq.

Given the composition of that group, who have now said that, we think this is the right course of action, I think the president would be hard-pressed to reject it.

Every course of action has a high degree of risk and is not guaranteed to succeed. But I think that there has to be a process that will force the Iraqis to make the difficult decisions they have so far refrained from making.

I think it's good for the country to have parents have heartburn. And I think every parent, every citizen of this country should always ask the question, what are we committing someone else's son or daughter to or husband or wife to?

He has take charge strong approach. But I think you will see him reaching out more to Congress.

Let's see if we can exhaust every diplomatic action possible.

I don't think there is any question about the ambition of the Iranians. I think there is substantial question about how far along they are in the program.

I think the best thing that the Security Council can do, if China and Russia in particular stand behind the resolutions, agree to impose sanctions, you can start out on a graduated basis.

I don't think we should make any mistake or be under any misapprehension. This is not going to be easy in the event military action were ever required.

I think we only breed contempt for the rule of law when we pass laws by Congress that don't go in force.

I think it's important that the Security Council measure up to its responsibilities by enforcing its own resolutions.

It's not simply a matter of whether the United States could in fact target individual sites and bring about substantial reduction. The issue is what is the consequence of engaging in this type of military confrontation or conflict?

For example, FEMA did not verify the identity of all of those seeking assistance. So we had people in jail applying for FEMA aid for rental assistance, believe it or not.

I have investigated a lot of examples of wasteful federal spending and I have never seen waste on this scale. The magnitude is just incredible. And it seems to be a bottomless pit.

FEMA is discredited, demoralized, and dysfunctional.

There were several findings that I found particularly troubling. The first is the blatant insubordination of then-FEMA Director Michael Brown. It was clear that he was disengaged from the onset of Katrina. He failed to communicate…

It's really the responsibility of the general to say, Mr. Secretary, you are wrong on this issue, and if you proceed in this fashion, we are going to inherit the wind on this or meet catastrophe.

It's somewhat unusual. I don't recall a situation in the past. Obviously, it's tied to the situation in Iraq itself. It hasn't been going as well as either Secretary Rumsfeld or the -- the country would like to see it go.