I think our dependence on foreign oil is a real problem, potential Achilles heel, and we have to do something about it.

Democratic openings that come about in that way - the overthrow of a totalitarian government by external powers - it makes it really hard to make those first steps toward democracy.

It's so much a part of me that it's almost hard to describe myself in the absence of it. I know that for me it means asking for guidance, and that in the toughest times there's a personal savior that I can rely on. And I'm very grateful to my parents for giving me that.

You do have to keep in mind as you're going through extraordinarily difficult circumstances, that if you stay true, true to your values, if you stay true to your principles, if you believe in these values, then you can work in that context to right policies that may not be working.

Diplomacy, if properly practiced, is not just talking for the sake of talking.

The political face of Europe is one that has said very clearly that it wants cooperation and friendship with the United States.

The first step for a leader is to be right with yourself. Integrity is the basis of leadership.