Before I could become a military officer or a Member of Congress, I was required to do one thing: Take an oath to the Constitution.

Military members understand that the focus is on completing the mission. We don't care if you are tall or short; have dark skin or pale skin or freckles; or are gay, straight, or transgender.

A comprehensive Syria strategy, ideally one that's more than 280 characters, remains a key requirement to protect U.S. interests in the Middle East.

The U.S. cannot implement a cogent strategy on the world stage if no one is sure whether to take the President seriously.

In the democracy of the dead all men at last are equal. There is neither rank nor station nor prerogative in the republic of the grave.

I believe in decentralized democracy.

Women are the key to successful development and ongoing progress. In the workforce, their ingenuity, determination, and hard work help our economies thrive. In the government, they offer valuable perspective that can inform policy and remove barriers.

We may like to think politics is a battle of ideas and that the best idea wins out. But that's not true in most elections. Most elections are about the worst ideas losing, not the best ideas winning.