'not Again!' I Thought To Myself This

On The Day I Started College In 1979, No Woman Had Ever Been On The United States Supreme Court Or Served As The Speaker Of The House. None Had Been An Astronaut Or The Solo Anchor Of A Network Evening News Broadcast. Not One Had Been President Of An Ivy League College Or Run A Serious Campaign For President.

When I First Started Working In Politics, As A Junior Aide On Walter Mondale's 1984 Presidential Campaign, It Never Occurred To Me That I Would One Day Work In The White House. There Were Plenty Of Women Among The Volunteers Who Stuffed Envelopes And Walked Precincts. But There Were Fewer And Fewer On Each Successive Level Of Influence And Access.

During My Years As A Press Secretary, I Developed A Powerful Internal Filter, Which Worked To Strip All Things 'off Message' From My Thoughts Before They Came Out Of My Mouth. It Didn't Always Work, Of Course, And I Said More Than A Few Things I Regretted.

If People Believe You're On Their Side, They Will Trust Your Decisions.

That Someone Like Obama Could Be Elected President Of The United States - With Its Unrivaled Power And Prestige - Has Begun To Restore The Country's And The World's Faith In America As The Land Of Opportunity.