I come from a pretty tough background and I learned a long time ago not to be bothered.

Growing up, I was always in the kitchen. Even in third grade, I made cooking videos called 'The Little Italian.' Very little production value, but it was good.

My heroes are the non-commissioned officers. If I had another life thats what Id be - a regimental sergeant major or a similar rank. Thats where the spirit of the armed forces is.

I never expected to be Defence Secretary. It's a great privilege.

We in the west walked away from Afghanistan at the end of the cold war and left it as a country devastated socially and armed to the teeth. If we do that again there will be consequences.

On the back benches, you can have your say but no power to do anything.

Despite the increasingly presidential style of political leadership in our country, teamwork is essential.

The more excuses you make, the less progress you make!

A mountain still in the distance can appear as a molehill.

I was very good at kickball ... I was wonderful at ah doing that kick and your leg goes up and your shoe went on top of the school

Most words evolved as a description of the outside world, hence their inadequacy to describe what is going on inside me.

I succeeded in simply attending at the birth of all my works.

We want to be, when we are young, A little man. I would like to be a big child, Stronger and fairer than a man, And more lucid than a child.

I think I'm less anonymous than I was.

If you ask me how I want to be remembered, it is as a winner.

No decision is, in itself, a decision.

They have a plentiful lack of wit.