If the trip was sanctioned by the president, it would be defeated before we leave.

The American people on the ground need a clearer, stronger, Lyndon B. Johnson-type voice from their president. Obama has that voice. It has to be used.

Look at the coded language the Right is using against President Barack Obama. Openly calling him a liar in Congress, saying he is 'not a Christian, he was not born here, he is not one of us.' That makes addressing such issues trickier for the first African-American in the White House.

Sometimes I would think myself happy never to leave. Every trip must end.

This is not a trip where the president has to come with a deliverable or an initiative.

If I wanna be president, I probably can.