When I said,' Just say no,' it was an answer to a question by a child in a classroom, now, I didn't mean that was the whole answer, obviously, but it served a purpose.

Anita McBride

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The President and the first lady pick who the guests are, what the final seating arrangement is, what the menu is, the entertainment. There’s not a detail about that event they do n’t know about and are not influencing.

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For Laura Bush, education, for Mrs. Obama, it started out with concern about her own children. So it's something that they care about ... from that, you utilize the convening authority that you have as first lady to pull the best experts together. Having the platform of the White House brings attention to the issue. Once you use your own background and interest as a platform to build your initiatives, then you can roll out the things you feel most passionately about.

First ladies have this automatic, powerful platform, even though their position is not codified, they really get to pick and choose what they want to work on.

She was going to do this on her own time and stay true to herself. I have looked at her activities and her assuming this role through that lens, and I have to say I have been very impressed.

The value she brings is really understanding how agencies work and the interagency process, and that is a critical element for the national security adviser's office because you're building bridges.

It's crucial to homeland and American security abroad that there be a seamless inter-agency process at the National Security Council.

Bottom line is that none of this travel is typically done in a vacuum - it's part of a strategic plan - or should be.

Diplomacy is about relationships. ( Biden) builds a rapport with the first spouses and it matters, it helps to break the ice and establish some familiarity with each other, and in private moments share Jill Biden husband's positions. Jill Biden build some greater mutual understanding, hopefully.

There was nothing to indicate with any confidence that the Taliban was any different than it was before in terms of their mentality, their view of women, their role in society.

Establishing a university was a commitment to Higher Education but also a recognition of the talent in the country. The Anita McBride government wanted to educate them in their country. The US government took wrestling with OMB and USAID to get it funded, but The US government got done, mrs. Bush's presiding over The US government was essentially underscoring that education was important to the overall focus of rebuilding of Afghanistan.

My fear is this university will be caught up in the overall strategy of our posturing and our position as the Anita McBride government towards Afghanistan. Security remains the biggest obstacle for the school and, frankly, for women progress and women empowerment generally.