Often if you don't speak up, whatever you thought was stupid to say some man would say and then everyone would say 'as he said'.

I do think that one needs to have respect for people who are older. And I really do love the idea that one can respect generations.

I was in Europe and it was at this stage that I fell in love with Americans in uniform. And I continue to have that love affair.

We will not be intimidated or pushed off the world stage by people who do not like what we stand for, and that is, freedom, democracy and the fight against disease, poverty and terrorism.

the purpose of foreign policy is to persuade others to do what we want or, better yet, to want what we want.

I think the hardest part [is] the priorities. There are an awful lot of things to do [being Secretary of State].

What distinguishes Americans from many people in the world is our kind of endemic optimism.