Barack Obama: “A Christmas shutdown is not a good idea.”

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.

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…

It fortifies you to say that, yes, this has been part of the journey that we’re on.

America is currently experiencing anger and vision but we are looking for fairness and common sense and mutual respect."