Take it from someone who fled the Iron Curtain: I know what happens when you give the Russians a green light.
— Madeleine Albright
When Hillary was First Lady, we went to the Beijing Women's Conference. She courageously stood up and spoke out on behalf of human rights and women's rights, inspiring millions to fight for a better future.
And frankly, I don't understand - I mean, I'm obviously a card-carrying Democrat - but I can't understand why any woman would want to vote for Mitt Romney, except maybe Mrs. Romney.
A lot of people think international relations is like a game of chess. But it's not a game of chess, where people sit quietly, thinking out their strategy, taking their time between moves. It's more like a game of billiards, with a bunch of balls clustered together.
The capability of negotiating... is something that means you not only have to understand fully what you believe and what your national interests are but in order to be a really good negotiator, you have to try to figure out what the other person on the other side of the table has in mind.
I saw what happened when a dictator was allowed to take over a piece of a country and the country went down the tubes. And I saw the opposite during the war when America joined the fight.
Really, I have to laugh because there was a whole set of stories that made me sound like the Dragon Lady, you know, 'tough this and tough that.' Then there is this business about 'gooey.' The bottom line is I am a pragmatic idealist.
The greatest thrill in my life was to represent the United States of America.
As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view.
The difference between humans and other mammals is that we know how to accessorize.
I loved being Secretary of State, that's probably evident to everyone who watched me.
If you look at U.S. history through religious history, there is very much a motif that shows the importance religion has played in the U.S. We're a very religious country and it affects the way we look at various political issues.
I am a beneficiary of the American people's generosity, and I hope we can have comprehensive immigration legislation that allows this country to continue to be enriched by those who were not born here.
As strong as the United States is, we can't deal with terrorism alone.
It's important that we invest in America - literally. The terrorists wanted to destroy our economy, and we can't let our system fall apart. We also have to invest in one another.
I have been in meetings where a head of state will say, 'I like your tie,' to a man... or, 'I like your country because the weather's good,' or whatever. So for me, the pins in some ways were openers.
I have had fun being who I became, so to speak.
When Hillary served as Secretary of State, I watched her partner with President Obama to restore our country's reputation around the world.
So people are talking about revolution. What a revolution it would be to have a woman president.
I think women want to take care of themselves, and I think having a voice in how that is done is very important.
I spent my life studying communism and Soviet systems.
I've never seen America as an imperialist or colonialist or meddling country.
I am such a political person.
Don't make me into this airy-fairy, moralist, idealist because I'm not.
To be safe at the expense of the liberty of other people is a difficult equation.
I'm a problem-solver.
I love being a woman and I was not one of these women who rose through professional life by wearing men's clothes or looking masculine. I loved wearing bright colors and being who I am.
I think that we all know what evil is. We have a sense of what's evil, and certainly killing innocent people is evil. We're less sure about what is good. There's sort of good, good enough, could be better - but absolute good is a little harder to define.
Women have to be active listeners and interrupters - but when you interrupt, you have to know what you are talking about.
For somebody who loves foreign policy, being Secretary is the best job in the world - but it doesn't happen twice.
The magic of America is that we're a free and open society with a mixed population. Part of our security is our freedom.
I have to tell you, my seven-year-old granddaughter said to my daughter, her mother, 'So what's the big deal about Grandma Maddy having been Secretary of State? Only girls are Secretaries of State.' Most of her lifetime, it's true. But at the time it really was a big deal.
I have said this many times, that there seems to be enough room in the world for mediocre men, but not for mediocre women, and we really have to work very, very hard.
One of the things that was really an issue was I did not want to just be a woman secretary of state. I wanted to be a secretary of a state who was a woman, but not just chosen for that particular reason.
When Hillary served in the Senate, I saw her work day and night as a member of the Armed Services Committee - working with Republicans and Democrats to keep our military strong and protect our troops and their families.
Hillary Clinton will always be there for you. And just remember - there's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other.
Women can't do everything at the same time, we need to understand milestones in our lives comes in segments.
NATO has been a thread throughout my life.
For me, America is really, truly the indispensable nation.
I wasn't a normal professor. I had worked in government. I hadn't written nine zillion books. I was a hands-on professor.
I have always seen the United States as a force of good. And I have learned that there is the idealistic part about what we can do at the U.N. and there is a doable part. And I have learned what is more doable.
I think that a president needs to have a variety of views presented. But also, there has to be a team effort, because otherwise, I think it creates a dissonance and difficulty.
I enjoy wearing pins, and nobody tells me to do it.
Jewelry and pins have been worn throughout history as symbols of power, sending messages. Interestingly enough, it was mostly men who wore the jewelry in various times, and obviously crowns were part of signals that were being sent throughout history by people of rank.
It's one thing to be religious, but it's another thing to make religion your policy.
For me, being raised in a free America made all the difference.
I know that war is very cruel and that life is harder when you aren't able to live in the place you called home.
Hate, emotionalism, and frustration are not policies.
Nobody's ever said that pins are a tool of diplomacy.
I do believe that in order to be a successful negotiator that as a diplomat, you have to be able to put yourself into the other person's shoes. Unless you can understand what is motivating them, you are never going to be able to figure out how to solve a particular problem.
