Barack Obama

We've got to eliminate programs that don't work, and we've got to make sure that the programs that we do have are more efficient and cost less.

There's no doubt that the fundamentals of the economy have to be measured by whether or not the middle class is getting a fair shake.

I've put forward a series of proposals that make sure that we protect taxpayers as we engage in this important rescue effort.

I do not think that they are [fundamentals of the economy sound].

Senator McCain is absolutely right that we need more responsibility.

What I've found, and I think was confirmed today, is that when you inject presidential politics into delicate negotiations, it's not necessarily as helpful as it needs to be.

Right now, there has to be a sense of urgency on the part of everybody because this is putting jobs at risk, economic growth at risk, small businesses at risk, the financial markets and people's retirement accounts over time, potentially…

What we should be doing is talking about what we expect to do in order to lead the country down the long-term path of economic growth because families were having trouble even before this Wall Street crisis hit.

Now, we must find an American solution.

The time to debate whether climate change is manmade has past - it's time, finally, for America to lead.

It's outrageous that we find ourselves in a position where taxpayers must bear the burden for the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street and Washington.

The scale of our challenges may be great.

We live in a time when our destinies are shared.

Every child - every boy, and every girl - should have the ability to go to school.

Prosperity cannot be sustained if it shuts people out.

This is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem - this is an American problem.

The government-brokered sale of Washington Mutual is the latest sign of the perilous situation facing our financial system and our economy.

It must be a public-private partnership that draws on the resources, and ideas, and resilience of business and non-profits and faith groups.

Action must be taken to restore confidence in our economy.

We cannot risk an economic catastrophe.

This is a time to rise above politics for the good of the country.

Although Americans with deposits at Washington Mutual should rest assured that they are safe under this arrangement, the failures of our financial institutions threaten economic instability, jobs, and the incomes of American families.

This should not be the whole kitchen sink in this thing. It is important to try to have this be as clean as possible, and not try to have the earmarks, not try to have all these add-ones.

This is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess.

Presidents are going have to deal with more than one thing at a time. It is not necessary for us to think that we can only do one thing and suspend everything else.