Barack Obama: “It has long been the policy of the United States to deploy an effective National Missile Defense system.”

They're meant to remind us of who we can be, to remind us of what's possible, so we can forge ahead.

We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, you know, put enormous strain on our military. A lot of people have died. And it feels like we’re back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse…

The essence of Prop. 50 is to say that if you are going to play that game, then we are going to try to counteract that abuse of the system.

I think when you understand the complexities of America and the contradictions of America, I don’t think it makes you love it less. I think it makes you love it more.