Chuck Hagel

“Well, Mr Obama inherited probably the biggest inventory of problems, certainly foreign policy problems, than any American president ever has. I think the entire inventory of problems that he inherited is probably as big overall as any president, certainly since Franklin Roosevelt and maybe, in some cases, worse.”

“I have said many times that Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism.”

“I'm not saying my idea is the one and only idea. We should have other ideas, but the president has not laid down a specific plan as to how he's going to get us to solvency. I do that.”

“No one individual vote, no one individual quote or no one individual statement defines me, my beliefs, or my record.”

“The United States can't impose democracies. We can't impose our will. The Russians found that out in Afghanistan.”

“Our foreign policy needs to support our energy, economic, defense and domestic policies. It all falls within the arch of national interest. There will be windows of opportunity, but they will open and close quickly.”

“Institutions are imperfect. Governments surely are. People are.”

“Our alliances should be understood as a means to expand our influence, not as a constraint on our power. The expansion of democracy and freedom in the world should be a shared interest and value with all nations.”

“I am fully supportive of 'open service' and committed to LGBT military families.”

“Engagement is not appeasement. Engagement is not surrender.”

“When you're dealing in situations that are uncontrollable and combustible, you try to stabilize the situation as quickly as you can and then work toward and work out toward democratic reform.”

“Alliances and international organizations should be understood as opportunities for leadership and a means to expand our influence, not as constraints on our power.”

“You can't just drop the 82nd Airborne into Baghdad and it will all be over.”

“I would not trade America's position in the world - our ledger, our debts and assets - for any country in the world. There isn't a country in the world even close to America.”

“I'm a supporter of Israel, always have been.”

“Well, let's go back to the original intent of Social Security. It is an insurance contract.”

“Well, no American wants to in any way hurt our capabilities to national defense, but that doesn't mean an unlimited amount of money, and a blank check for anything they want at any time, for any purpose. Not at all.”

“I have never believed you go to war in Iraq, you go to war in Afghanistan, and believe that you can deal with those battlefields, those countries, in microcosms, or narrow channels.”

“Foreign policy will require a strategic agility that, whenever possible, gets ahead of problems, strengthens U.S. security and alliances, and promotes American interests and credibility.”

“We live in a world where there are dangerous people, there are bad people.”