You saw the exodus of many people on the business council, who resigned, who said those are not my personal values, those are not our corporate values, and those - we don't believe - are the values of our country.
I was taught to respect everyone for the simple reason that we're all God's children. I was taught, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.... to judge a man not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. And I was taught that character...is simply doing what's right when nobody's looking.
Americans are hungry for a discussion on policy solutions to the problems in their communities that work.
Education is a bipartisan issue that concern all communities of color and should be first, last and always about the student learning.
Too many Americans live by Republican principles of faith, family, hope and opportunity, but vote for Democrats out of sheer habit.
Individual responsibility, hard work, paying attention in school, faith, family all these things are important.
My father taught that the only helping hand you're ever going to be able to rely on is the one at the end of your sleeve.
The measure of a man is not how great his faith is, but how great his love is. We must not let government programs disconnect our souls from each other.
My work in the House of Representatives, at this time in my life, is completed. It is time to return home.
I am willing to compete on my merits and on my character - not with the color of my skin. We talk about being a color-blind society, but I don't think the political process could actually handle that.
I don't know if anybody has moved up the ladder more quickly than I have.
If diversity is O.K. for God, it ought to be O.K. for Republicans.
I embrace my blackness, just as I do my conservatism and my Christianity, but I don't want to be defined or pigeonholed by any one of the many elements that make up my character.
In addition, there is one title I cherish a great deal more than Congressman and that is the title of... Dad.
There can't be opportunity or jobs without investment and profit.
Having a Republican candidate speak at the NAACP convention is like trying to build a house starting at the roof. If you don't have a foundation, the roof isn't going to stand.
The Republican Party is terrific at determining how a program will impact the federal budget, but we're not nearly as good as the Democrats in explaining to people how our agenda will directly benefit them and their families.
When it comes to the American dream, no one has a corner on the market. All of us have an equal chance to share in that dream.
There is a direct correlation between education, stable families and incarceration and crime.
Republicans and Democrats have used accounting gimmicks and competing government analyses to deceive the public into believing that 2 + 2 = 6. If our leaders cannot agree on the numbers, if 'facts' are fictional, how can they possibly have a substantive debate on solutions?
I do think, however, that there's a very diverse point of view in the African-American community. There's a lot of different voices that need to be heard. I don't claim and pretend to know the thoughts and opinions and ideas of all African-Americans.
Some might think that George W. Bush had his shortcomings, but let me tell you something - history's going to be kind to George W. Bush.
Serving in Congress has been more than an honor; it has been one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life ... It has been a wonderful ride. It has been a wonderful journey.
I think in politics, in Congress, you often do things that are Republican, or you do things because you're a Democrat. Sometimes that's good, obviously, and sometimes that's obviously bad. But in the news business, there's no such thing as Republican or Democratic news. News is news.
Most of all, however, critics of black conservatives say we've forgotten where we came from. I may forget a federal budget number or, God forbid, to set the alarm clock for my weekly 6 a.m. flight to Washington, but I know exactly where I came from.
