I mean, I suppose what I could have done is started off with no tax cuts, knowing that I was going to want some and then let them take credit for all of them. And maybe that's the lesson I learned.

I realize I'm taking ownership of this economy. And if my plan that I'm pushing through Congress doesn't work, you're going to have a new president in four years.

You know, I am an eternal optimist. That doesn't mean I'm a sap.

We will do what works.

We should be spending a lot more money trying to figure out how to get our energy policy right than we should on helicopters for the president.

How's he doing with the stimulus plan and his early encounter with Washington politics?

Tragic events such as these remind us of the fragility of life and the value of every single day.

Beverly lost her husband on 9/11 and became a tireless advocate for those families whose lives were forever changed on that September day.

She was an inspiration to me and to so many others and I pray that her family finds peace and comfort in the hard days ahead.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who lost loved ones. And as always our thanks go out to the brave first responders who arrived immediately to try and save lives and were still on the scene keeping people safe.

To truly address this crisis, we will also need to address the crisis in our financial sector to get credit flowing again to families and businesses.