On bin Laden, in their own words

Dick Cheney, former vice president: "The administration clearly deserves credit for the success of the operation."

Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of New York City: "I admire the courage of the president."

Donald Trump: "I want to personally congratulate President Obama."

John Ullyot, a Republican strategist: "The fact that he got Osama bin Laden is something that's going to be a very quick and powerful talking point right up to the 2012 election. Given the success of the operation, President Obama has clear and undisputed credentials" in the national security area.

Rep. John Kline, R-Minn.: "It's a very good thing to have gotten him because it really sends a strong signal, and it's taken away a symbol from Al-Qaida and Islamist extremists. The bad news is there's still a lot of them out there."

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn.: "It's far more than symbolic. I think it sends a strong message, coupled with the timing of what we've seen in the Arab Spring with some of the organic uprisings for democracy."

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.: "Obviously the hope is that this will be very demoralizing and hurt recruitment" for Al-Qaida.

Mike Low of Batesville, Ark., whose daughter Sara was a flight attendant aboard the hijacked plane that was flown into the North Tower: "For my family and I, it's good, it's desirable, it's right. It certainly brings an ending to a major quest for all of us."

Richard Murach, whose brother, Robert, 45, died in the North Tower: "I actually slept very well last night. They need to get the No. 2 guy now. It's going to be a never-ending task until all terrorism is gone, but certainly this was a start."

Jill Regan, 32, whose father, Donald Regan, a responding New York City firefighter, died: "At first I thought, 'What are we celebrating?' Because there's people behind him, people who will take over for him. ... It's kind of one of those things where, you want to ask the person who hurt you the most, 'Why? Why did you hate us so much?'"

Lee Hanson, 78, of Easton, Conn., who lost his son Peter, his daughter-in-law, Sue, and his granddaughter, Christine, who were aboard United Flight 175 when it crashed into the World Trade Center: "I'm glad the United States has done this. Still, it doesn't bring our children back, and the pain is still there."

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who had been working to build an Islamic community center near ground zero: "I believe this is an important milestone in bringing closure to the deep wound that 9/11 created in America."

Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the L.A. branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations: "Realistically speaking, I don't think we will be witnessing any real change in the anti-Muslim rhetoric in America. Because it is being pushed by those who use deliberate misinformation and that is not going to disappear with the disappearance of Bin Laden."