We all hoped in 2001 that we could put in place an Afghan government under President Karzai that would be able to control the country make sure al-Qaeda didn't come back and make sure the Taliban wasn't resurging. It didn't work out.

When you decide to get involved in a military operation in a place like Syria you've got to be prepared as we learned from Iraq and Afghanistan to become the government and I'm not sure any country either the United States or I don't hear of anyone else who's willing to take on that responsibility.

We need to understand that we as citizens and as a government in any community throughout this country have no more important obligation than to educate those who are going to replace us.

I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in. You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money.

One of my goals upon becoming Secretary of State was to take diplomacy out of capitals out of government offices into the media into the streets of countries.

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.

Things in our country run in spite of government not by aid of it.

On account of being a democracy and run by the people we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years no matter what it does.

When I am abroad I always make it a rule never to criticize or attack the government of my own country. I make up for lost time when I come home.

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials but the voters of this country.