We've made a conscious decision, at the request of the Iraqis, to stand back during this pilgrimage period,

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.

When you raise issues with the President, try to come away with both that decision and also a precedent. Pose issues so as to evoke broader policy guidance. This can help to answer a range of similar issues likely to arise later.

This is the most joyful day that ever I saw in my pilgrimage on earth.

[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,