[to fellow-Republicans] We've got to start talking about what we're for, not continuing to rail about what we're against. Leadership is not standing on the sidelines and spit-balling.

Politics ain't beanbag.

If people had a choice between prepackaged, blow-dried politicians and people who just say it the way it is, I think they would pick the latter.

[on relying inordinately on reasoning in politics] College professors are fine, I guess. If we don't win we don't govern. And if we don't govern, all we do is shout into the wind.

Sometimes people make politics too complicated. It's not too complex. It's about personal relationships.

[to an inquiry whether Mitt Romney would likely be visiting his hurricane-swept state] I have a job to do. I've got 2.4 million people out of power, I've got devastation on the shore, I've got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about Presidential politics, then you don't know me.