I failed to recognize how important it was to elevate a matter of such gravity to the highest levels, including the president and the members of Congress,

Governments at all levels failed.

Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find problem areas, add structure and delegate. The pressure is to do the reverse. Resist it.

While housing prices and margins may be climbing to stratospheric levels, it is important to recognize that they are still climbing and driving earnings higher,

[In Washington, thousands of people marched in remembrance of the attacks and in tribute to troops fighting overseas.] I wish we could say ... that we were gathering today to commemorate a danger that had long since past, ... But we cannot. The enemy, though seriously weakened and continuously under pressure, continues to plot attacks, and the danger they pose to the free world is real and present.

The differences are so notable that it would take too long to list them,