White House Press Secretaries

What you're also seeing, Anderson, is almost unprecedented in modern Republican politics. The no front-runner issue.

If she goes this time, frankly, and I'm neutral in this Republican primary, but it would be a dream come true for Mitt Romney.

I just think it's too late. Too much time has passed by. And it is so hard to build a successful presidential campaign.

But the president has got a problem about shoring up the center, independents. And that's where I think this -- this proposal of his is going to fall short both substantively and politically.

Well, I don't think it's that simple, Anderson. People always say make somebody else do it, I don't want to. But that's not how you build a strong nation and that's not what presidents should do.

Perry's gamble is that the American people really do want to push for greater change in entitlement programs, that they're ready for something fundamental.

I think that Republicans have to be a little careful here that Social Security does not become the defining issue that divides them in this primary.

I would put Michele Bachmann, I would put Mitt Romney, I would put Governor Perry.

I don't believe there is a Republican front runner. I think every candidate has sufficient strengths and sufficient weaknesses that nobody is in first place by enough to call them a front runner.

You know, Anderson, as James knows, campaigns are probably the most grueling thing you can do to yourself.

It's a fair fight. And this is the stuff of which campaigns are made to see who can make their case stronger for Republican primary voters.

It's way too soon for anybody to pronounce who's going to win the Republican nomination.

The thing that made my eyebrows raised, though, on that interview was when he said this is a Perry/Romney race and Michele Bachmann is in third.

That really caught me by surprise.

This is a Perry/Romney race and Michele Bachmann is in third.

Presidents always do best when they lead the most. And if you even if you don't like what they're saying, presidents get credit for leadership if they take the initiative.

Something about the president's policies is not working.

When Barack Obama came into office, there were 11.9 million Americans were unemployed. Today there are 13.9 million Americans are unemployed.

The stimulus was a failure.

Presidents can make things a lot worse.

The fact is that in four years of Barack Obama he will increase the debt by more than George Bush did in eight years of George Bush.

He never took the debt seriously until April of this year.

In four years of Barack Obama, he will increase the debt by more than George Bush did in eight years of George Bush.

The big issue, though, is it doesn't matter what area you serve in, a crisis is going to arise on every president's watch.