Condoleezza Rice Quotes

I grew up outside of Washington D.C., a town in which the largest industry is government and in which almost everyone I knew was involved in creating policies which impact people across our country and around the globe.

My friends all say I'm going to be Secretary of State. But I don't see how that would be much different from the job I have now.

Being a cabinet minister is not like running a company. A country is not a company.

Never for a moment, have the responsible and instructed statesmen in charge of the foreign affairs of the United States failed to consider themselves bound to insist upon this policy .... Almost every President and Secretary of State has re-stated the doctrine with vigor and emphasis in the discussion of the diplomatic affairs of his day.

I mean my life was a combination of fascination with other people, with politics, and with policy, and the impact of government decisions on people's lives and the life of our nation and the life of the world.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, thank you so much, as always, for joining us this morning.

Politics is the science of urgencies.

As a civil servant in charge of the government's Strategy Unit, I brought in many people from outside government, including academia and science, to work in the unit, dissecting and solving complex problems from GM crops to alcohol, nuclear proliferation to schools reform.

Why does it have to be politics? Is there a dynamism to that world and a theoretical capacity to do things that draws many talented people? Absolutely. Are there other ways to be involved and lead an interesting life? Of course.

I'm a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy.

I enjoyed the administrative work because it involved working with Congress, city council, and the mayor. I had never been a politician so it was fun - learning political maneuvering.

I loved being Secretary of State, that's probably evident to everyone who watched me.

I believe all universities should at least offer courses in politics and policy implementation.

I loved what I did. I could've been secretary of state for ever.

You'd make a great Secretary of State because State Department personnel don't answer questions completely either.

Congress cannot—nor should it—run foreign policy on a day-to-day basis. That is a truism.

Politics, you will observe, is the science of guessing right.

What is politics but business?

Politics is the science of the second best.

... knew more about world politics than all the cabinet ministers in office.

U. S. Foreign Policy is usually largely reactive.

I know the rule. I know law. I know economics. I know parliament. That's an explosive combination.

I think my father thought I might be president of the United States. I think he would've been satisfied with secretary of state. I'm a foreign policy person, and to have a chance to serve my country as the nation's chief diplomat at a time of peril and consequence, that was enough.

Politics is a lot tougher than physics.

As a senator, I play an important role in crafting foreign policy.