From Richard Holbrooke - and I miss him every day - I learned two things. One, prioritization: Never take your eye off the longer-term reforms. The other thing is, he was a hell of a schmoozer! So I should take advantage of my Irish love of beer and gift of the gab, and build relationships. That's a cherished part of the job, asking someone, "How did you get to be the Rwandan ambassador?" I try to take advantage of the fact that I hope to be here at least until the president's term ends getting to know my colleagues.

The U.S. government engages with many countries around the world in official dialogues on human rights.

Every working mother struggles with the BlackBerry, knowing the boss can call.

Success is not about who never fails. It is about who can spring - or even stagger - back up.

We, as Americans, have an interest in ensuring that the only people who get to vote for our elected leaders are our citizens, and not some foreign people who think that they have an interest in skewing our election in one direction or another.

Without investing in the rule of law for the poor, none of the other investments we make will be sustainable.

Re-examining our reasoning is not something that has come naturally to American statesmen.