George W. Bush: “I am pleased to accept the recommendations of Secretary Gates for several key positions in our Nation's Armed Forces.”

Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square. Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens.

On behalf of the American people, Laura and I offer our sincere condolences to Betsy and the Wyeth family.

History will remember him as among the finest public servants of his generation – a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position.

We learned that bravery is more common than we imagined, emerging with sudden splendor in the face of death.