Bob Herbert, 10/04/12

Former New York Times columnist

It's time to stop making excuses for Barack Obama. With so much at stake in this election, his performance at the debate on Wednesday night was indefensible.

Howard Fineman, 10/04/12

Editorial Director, Huffington Post Media Group

The president needs to get back some form of his old magic if he hopes to secure a victory that, until the Denver debate, seemed all but inevitable, even to many of his foes.

Arianna Huffington, 10/02/12

Now, a well-placed debate zinger certainly has its place -- but how much more of a "moment" would be created if either candidate instead unleashed a series of proposals to put the 20 million Americans who are unemployed or underemployed back to work?

Robert Redford, 10/03/12

Actor, director, and environmental activist

I'm fairly sure Mitt Romney thinks he has an ace in the hole by using the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline against President Obama. So let's take a quick look at what he might say and what are the actual facts.

Hillary Clinton, 10/01/12

U.S. Secretary of State

We want our progress to be transparent and want our partners to ask us hard questions. They can expect that we will do the same.

John Dear and John Cusack, 10/02/12

Californians have the chance to make history on November 6th. Perhaps then, they might inspire the rest of the country to throw the death penalty in the dust bin where it belongs.

Patricia Cornwell, 10/02/12

If President Obama is reelected, and I hope he is, maybe he should take a close look at those his administration appoints to serve the public objectively and without conflict or unseemly allegiances. And maybe it's time to hold financial institutions accountable for their greed and questionable practices.

Jimmy Carter, 10/01/12

39th president of the United States

The act of building, of renovating, of coming together cements a bond not easily undone. When we bring together available resources, take decisive action and advocate for lasting change, we build the kind of stability, that Haiti -- and we -- need.

Willow Bay, 10/05/12

Senior Editor of The Huffington Post

Jessica Herrin, founder of Stella & Dot, sells jewelry. In fact, she sells lots of it -- $100 million worth last year alone -- by combining personal service with an e-commerce platform and social media. Herrin calls it "social selling."

Mark Gongloff, 10/05/12

Chief financial writer, The Huffington Post

The latest jobs numbers could have been much worse -- but they also could have been a lot better. Try 6.8 percent unemployment instead of 7.8 percent.

Jessica Pearce Rotondi, 10/05/12

Associate Blog Editor

Breast cancer enters our bedrooms. It comes with us to fitting rooms. It's with us at weddings when our mothers or sisters are not.

Russell Simmons, 10/04/12

Founder, GlobalGrind.com

I will continue to spread the president's agenda, because I believe he will make it his legacy issue to get the money out of politics, so all Americans, not just a percentage of them, will have access to the American Dream.

Marlo Thomas, 10/04/12

Award-winning actress, author, and activist

Three books at the top of the bestseller list, all at the same time? Who is this woman? So when I sat down with E. L. James for an exclusive interview, I had a lot of questions about the book, the bondage and the inspiration behind the global phenomenon.

Robert L. Borosage, 10/04/12

President, Institute for America's Future

The evening featured a remarkable shifting of shape, a new Etch-A-Sketch, by Mitt Romney. Romney, filled with earnest intensity, simply walked away from much of his campaign to date.

Dr. Judith Rodin, 10/03/12

President of the Rockefeller Foundation

In the world of finance, ROI -- "return on investment" -- rules the day. But there is a new kind of investor nowadays seeking a different kind of return. We call them impact investors, and they seek to put markets to work for millions of people around the globe.

Jared Bernstein, 10/05/12

Fmr. Obama administration economist; CNBC and MSNBC contributor

All told, this report and the revisions paint a considerably better labor market picture than the last few reports. We're not yet out of the labor market woods, and I'd like to see us moving more quickly, but we're on the right path.

Allison Tate, 10/02/12

Freelance writer, mom of four

I am not perfect to look at and I am not perfect to love, but I am perfectly their mother.

James Franco, 10/01/12

Actor and author

I am usually drawn to work that deals with the world of mass consumerism and popular culture. I find myself very attracted to work that uses the flashy opacity of fast food and modern living to critique and examine the way we live now.

Bonnie Kavoussi, 10/05/12

Economics Reporter, The Huffington Post

If you think the numbers in the September jobs report were skewed to help President Barack Obama, a look into how the figures are calculated will prove you wrong.

Michael Moore, 10/01/12

Oscar and Emmy-winning director

From the start, Bain Capital had support from the government. We all built that. Just don't ever mention that in public.

Marian Wright Edelman, 10/05/12

President, Children's Defense Fund

Dolores Huerta's many successes over the years have proven her right about the power every person can have once they are ready to claim it and work together with others for change.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, 09/29/12

Independent U.S. Senator from Vermont

In my view, we will not make progress in addressing either the jobs or deficit crisis unless we are prepared to take on the greed of Wall Street and big-money interests who want more and more for themselves at the expense of all Americans.

Dominique de Villepin, 10/04/12

Fmr. Prime Minster of France

America has it in its guts to accomplish a needed inner transformation, to become the seed of a global evolution of our common world, to become a second generation power, an evolved power capable of doing what no other power has done before: sharing power after having reached its peak.

Dr. Peggy Drexler, 10/05/12

Author, research psychologist, and gender scholar

We're always hearing about children and teenagers who share too much: with their friends; with their parents; online, with the world. But what happens when it's Mom and Dad dabbling in TMI? How do we know how much--and what sort of--information our kids can handle?