Just like Sept. 11, only with nuclear weapons this time, that's the threat. I think that is the threat. I think it's just facing reality. It's not a happy reality, but it's reality and if you don't deal with it, it will become even more unpleasant.

I'm not saying that you need a State Department that looks like the litigation department of a major law firm. But you need people who are not afraid to make the case for the United States, who are not afraid to stand their ground, not afraid to be isolated in international organizations when that's the correct approach for our diplomacy. This is a cultural change that has to be effected through incentive systems, promotion systems, career training systems. This is not something that you can do with the stroke of a magic wand, it's going to take years to make this change.

I don't think Hamas will be satisfied simply ruling the Gaza Strip.

You don't need to spend tens of millions of dollars on political consultants to tell you what you think when you already know what you think.

I haven't given up on the possibility that sweet reason will prevail.

Every country has an aspect to it that rubs up people the wrong way.

I think it's critical that we return national security issues to the center of the overall political debate in America.