The real secret about diplomats is that we're trained to say something, when there is nothing to say, and to say nothing when there is something to say.

I was criticized at some level within the Republican Party by those who say government should not be in the economic development business at all. My response is that the only country I know that doesn't have an economic development plan is Papa New Guinea.

America is the primary engine of growth in the world and we are the only beacon of free trade left, and open markets.

The real secret about diplomats is that we're trained to say something, when there is nothing to say, and to say nothing when there is something to say.

It's taken a lot of presidents to get us where we are today, a lot of deployments, a lot of wars, a lot engagements. You add them all up.

In any walk of life, a positive, upbeat outlook trumps any adversarial act. Revenge is counterproductive. Unproductive emotions limit one's ability to move forward, to focus, to think positively, to act creatively.

I respect the president. He and I have a difference of opinion on how to help the country we both love. But the question each of us wants the voters to answer is who will be the better president, not who is the better American.