Thinking about the world writ large, I am more optimistic than not that we will tackle our most pressing challenges, whether poverty or equality for women and girls or climate change; but I also know we'll only tackle them if people are really informed about the challenge and what's proven to work.

I believe that engaging in the political process is part of being a good person.

Every day at some point I encounter some sort of anti-American feeling.

He has always provided me a safe place to land and a hard place from which to launch.

I certainly believe that all of my friends should have the right, as Marc and I did, to marry their best friend. I certainly expect my straight friends to help us achieve that for all New Yorkers, for all Americans, and for the children that, at least, Marc and I hope to have someday.

When we look at that jingoism and the sexism and the racism and the homophobia, that's not who we are, and that's not the country that I want my daughter to grow up in.

I just hope I will be as good a mom to my child and, hopefully, children as my mom was to me.