When I became leader I made very clear I was not going to choose the easy life. I have always taken risks. I don't like comfort-zone politics.

This has always been the way of presidential politics. The president rises above the fray while his surrogates go on the attack. They throw the spears and fling the mud he sits upon the throne.

Democrats always like to brag that their guys are smarter than the opponents and Republicans always like to brag that their guys are more moral than the opponents. But if you're looking for morals in politics you're looking for bananas in the cheese department.

It's like being at the kids' table at Thanksgiving - you can put your elbows on it you don't have to talk politics... no matter how old I get there's always a part of me that's sitting there.

I guess you'd call me an independent since I've never identified myself with one party or another in politics. I always decide my vote by taking as careful a look as I can at the actual candidates and issues themselves no matter what the party label.

In politics shared hatreds are almost always the basis of friendships.

Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time is because we're hardwired not to always think clearly when we're scared. And the country's scared.

I'm always rather nervous about how you talk about women who are active in politics whether they want to be talked about as women or as politicians.

Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book.

Sometimes I wonder if we shall ever grow up in our politics and say definite things which mean something or whether we shall always go on using generalities to which everyone can subscribe and which mean very little.