"Someone has to stay on the line and say, no, we can do this by cutting spending and reducing the size of government. That's what I was committed to doing."

"I'm making this decision based on whether I believe in my heart that I'm ready to be president of the United States and that I want to be president of the United States right now."

"I think America needs lots of tough people. Not just me. I think America needs to get tougher, all of us."

"The argument for getting our own house in order is not an argument for turning our back on the world. We cannot and should not do that."

"Insisting that we must tax and take and demonize those who have already achieved the American Dream. That may turn out to be a good re-election strategy for President Obama, but is a demoralizing message for America."

"Well, let me tell you, after three years of Obama, we are hopeless and changeless, and we need Mitt Romney to bring us back, to bring America back."

"But our leaders of today have decided it's more important to be popular, to say and do what's easy, and say yes rather than to say no, when no is what is required."

"The people of New Jersey stepped up. They shared in the sacrifice. You know what else they did? They rewarded politicians who lead instead of politicians who pandered."

"I'm so tired of talking about Warren Buffett."

"Here's what I know about political campaigns: no matter what you map out at the beginning, it's always different at the end."

"If you're sick, take your sick day. If you don't take your sick day, know what your reward is? You weren't sick - that was the reward."

"If I missed my moment, I missed my moment. I mean, I wasn't pining to be president of the United States."

"Sometimes, when you see the newspaper and you read something I said, you say, 'Oh, I can't believe he said that.'"

"I think Gingrich has embarrassed the party over time. Whether he'll do it again in the future, I don't know. But Gov. Romney never has."

"I don't compromise my principles for politics."

"You're "saying "'will it become politically unpopular to have the position I'm having.' If it does, so be it."

"I don't think there's anybody in America who thinks my personality is best suited to being Number Two."

"If anybody ran a business like that they would be out of business quickly, and Barack Obama's leadership is driving this business, the United States of America, toward a fiscal cliff."

"We vetoed five income tax increases during my time as governor. We cut business taxes $2.3 billion, and we cut regulation by one-third of what my predecessor put in place."

"We have a lot of work to do in New Jersey, but I am darn proud we've brought our state back."

"I was appointed United States attorney on September 10, 2001. And I spent the next seven years of my career fighting terrorism and putting terrorists in jail."

"Social Security is meant to be - to make sure that no one who's worked hard and played by the rules and paid into the system grows old in poverty in America."

"I don't disagree with ending Congress' retirement program. I'm a governor; I don't have a retirement program in my state, and I don't disagree with that."

"I'm a conservative, pro-life governor in a state where it is really tough to be both. A state like New Jersey, with lots of Democrats, but still we cut taxes, we balanced budgets. We fought the teacher's union."