I, I don't know — Bono came in and dropped this new iPod off... Lightweight. Crank it on, and you shuffle the shuffle.

It's a myth to think I don't know what's going on. And it's a myth to think that I'm not aware that there is opinions that don't agree with mine. Because I'm fully aware of that. ...I see a lot of the news. Every morning I look at the newspaper I can tell you what the headlines are. I must confess, if I think the story is, like, not a fair appraisal, I'll move on.

DUBYA: Herman, last question.
KEN HERMAN (Cox News Service): Respectfully, sir — and you know we're always respectful, in your statement —
DUBYA: Most of the time.
HERMAN: — this morning with President Hu, you seemed a little off your game. You seemed to hurry through your statement and there was a lack of enthusiasm —
DUBYA: When? Here, right now?
HERMAN: No, this morning, with President Hu.
DUBYA: Hmm.
HERMAN: Was something bothering you? Were you tired?
DUBYA: Have you ever heard of jet lag?
HERMAN: Yes, sir.
DUBYA: Well, good. That answers your question.

This is a opportunity to positively affirm our belief in democracy, in human rights and human dignity. And so I want to thank you for being a good host. It's not easy to host all these countries, particularly not easy to host, uhh, perhaps, me. But thank you for doing it. You're doing a fine job.

See, NORTHCOM is the main entity that interfaces, that uses federal assets, federal troops to interface with local and state government. I want to watch that relationship. It's an important relationship, and I need to understand how it works better.

Here's what I believe. I believe that the great city of New Orleans will rise again and be a greater city of New Orleans. I believe the town where I used to come — from Houston, Texas, to enjoy myself, occasionally too much — will be that very same town, that it will be a better place to come to.

I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say. But I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life.

She's referring to the fact that my Attorney General, longtime friend, a guy who was my — close when I was the governor of Texas, came up to Washington with me as part of the movement of Texans south to north during the government.

DUBYA: I appreciate the Secretary of Energy joining me today. He's a good man, he knows a lot about the subject, you'll be pleased to hear. I was teasing him — he taught at MIT, and — do you have a PhD?
SECRETARY OF ENERGY BODMAN: Yes.
DUBYA: Yes, a PhD. Now I want you to pay careful attention to this — he's the PhD, and I'm the C student, but notice who is the advisor and who is the President.

There's a lot of us getting ready to retire. We're called baby boomers. As a matter of fact, my retirement age is 2,008.

A lot of us are getting ready to retire. We're called baby boomers. See, my retirement age happens to be in 2008, I reached retirement age in 2008, which is a convenient year for me to retire.

If you've retired, you don't have anything to worry about. The third time I've said that. I'll probably say it three more times, see, in my line of work you gotta keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kinda catapult the propaganda.

Let me put it to you this way. I do not need a poll or a focus group to tell me where I need to lead this country. In the midst of the Civil War, the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln said, "As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew." And we continue that proud tradition today, as we're heading into the second term.

The math has changed. The math has changed this way. Baby boomers like me are getting ready to retire, and there's a lot of us. I turn 62 in 2008 — it's a convenient date for me to retire.

DAVID GREGORY: Do you feel that this is a point in the debate where it's incumbent upon you, and nobody else, to lay out a plan to the American people for how you actually keep Social Security solvent for the long-term?
DUBYA: First of all, Dave, let me, if I might correct you, be so bold as to correct you, I have not laid out a plan yet, intentionally.

There is a baby boomer generation getting ready to retire. I'm pretty aware of that. I am one.

Can you imagine if my name had been Mungo Bush?

And it's not only having no retirement system. It is how are we going to pay for people like George W. when he gets ready to retire? That's as big a burden as having no system at all, see? And that's the dilemma we're faced with.

REPORTER: I seem to remember a time in Texas on another problem — taxes — where you tried to get out in front and tell people it's not a crisis now, it's going to be a crisis down the line. You went down in flames on that one. Why is there —
DUBYA: Actually, I — let me — let me, if I might — I don't think a billion dollar tax relief that permanently reduced property taxes on senior citizens was flames — but since you weren't a senior citizen, perhaps that's your definition of flame. Yeah —
REPORTER: What is there about government —
DUBYA: 'Cause you're not a senior citizen yet.
REPORTER: I'm getting there. What is there about government that makes it hard —
DUBYA: Acting like one, however. Go ahead.
REPORTER: — that makes it hard for government to get —
DUBYA: Faulty memory.

People sometimes say what's more important than the country is my politics.