I apologize to those of you I offended for coming out against the Ex-Im Bank. I'm not changing my mind on it, but I just wanted to let you know I apologize for that.

America's history is exemplified in the efforts of the men and women who died for our country. The one thing that they all have in common is their selfless love for our nation and their courage to stand up to protect and defend it. They raised their gaze in the face of conflict, believed in what America could be, and pushed forward.

As you get larger, it is harder to have focused discussions. Because one of the things I've learned about Congress over the past four years that I've been in is there's no shortage of opinions about how things should be done on any particular subject.

I have disagreements with leadership, I have disagreements with the speaker, but I have those one-on-one.

This is our job as leaders: to offer positive solutions and empower people. Our duty is to tackle our problems before they tackle us.

Engaging in a sycophantic way with any politician in the short term is tempting. It offers the lure of access and the promise of influence. But ultimately, it can lead to misreading the environment, giving too much of an ear to the politician's circle, and confining your audience to partisans.

Once you embrace the absolute truth that every leader needs a mentor, you can begin to achieve the massive growth and success that you seek.

Every Muslim leader must unequivocally proclaim that terror committed in the name of Islam violates the core tenets of the Prophet Mohammed, and they must do so repeatedly. Period.