I would not have imagined being asked to be Secretary of State, it was a great honor to serve with President Obama in his cabinet.

New York has done an excellent job. And I give credit - I give credit across the board going back two mayors, two police chiefs, because it has worked. And other communities need to come together to do what will work, as well.

I want people to feel that I've got their back, that they can count on me, and that the door's open, the table is set for everybody, so that nobody feels like, hey, I'm a lesser person. And it's that place of fear. It does kill dreams. That's exactly what fear does.

As a senator, I raised the alarm about sub prime mortgages. I fought to hold reckless manufacturers accountable for toxic toys and household products that threaten our kids. I introduced legislation to protect Americans' personal data and combat identity theft. So as president, I will make consumer protection a top priority across the entire government.

I used to sit on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue and wonder why the Senate was always going into recess, until in my first year I realized how intense the pressure was.

I couldn't be a White Sox fan because that was like being a Mets or a Yankees fan.

I don't spend my hours plotting for somebody else's downfall.