... We are marshalling more resources and making more efforts. But there must be other things we can do. The theme of the World Aids Day is "Time to Act." The argument that Jeffrey Schmaltz made in his article was that we also ought to talk more. And for those of us in positions of leadership, talking is acting.

I have to tell you that one of the things that I underestimated when I became President was the actual power of the words coming from the bully pulpit of the White House to move the country. I overestimated my capacity to get things done in a hurry in the Congress -- (laughter) -- but I -- when I read the other day in The Los Angeles Times that I had the best record of any President in 40 years, I said, "pity the others." (Laughter.) I'm an impatient person; I'm a victim of my own impatience. But I do think sometimes all of us underestimate the power of our words to change the attitudes and the range of behavior of other people -- not just me, but you, too.