Barack Obama: “Our response to the incident has to be swift but also thoughtful.”

Your task is not to impose litmus tests.

There’s no doubt that we are going through a period right now of disruption, polarization.

In forming our union, the founders fell terribly short of the Declaration's promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who owned property.

No one was more skilled at bringing people together and getting legislation passed.