People just want to hear some common sense... and I bring to bear the experience in local government and state government and national government - I was the first woman in history on the Senate Finance Committee - not to mention the diplomatic international experience.

My dad was a diplomat and after living in America where I was born he was posted to Cairo.

My family moved - first to Washington D.C. and then in the spring of 1975 to Lebanon where my father worked as a diplomat at the American embassy. My parents were enthusiastic about the move so my older brother and I felt like we were off to some place kind of cool.

However even during the preparations for action we laid our plans in such a manner that should there be progress through diplomatic negotiation we would be well prepared to cancel operations at the latest moment that communication technology would have permitted.

Diplomats make it their business to conceal the facts.

I have discovered the art of deceiving diplomats. I tell them the truth and they never believe me.

A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age.