Top 141 Quotes & Sayings by Dana Perino

A lot of people think that public speaking means that you are standing at a podium giving a speech, but public speaking comes in lots of different formats.

Starting in the third grade, my dad had me read the 'Denver Post.' I had to discuss two articles with him before dinner, and we would also watch '60 Minutes' together.

I get a choice every time I have to open my mouth: that it can be with civility and dignity and grace - or not.

Everyone learns from their experiences.

Vulnerable young women are being brainwashed by the radical lies of ISIS militants in the Middle East.

Never refuse a breath mint - you don't know why it's being offered.

I have a fascination with Flight 93. My emotions are mixed: awe, gratitude, fear, heartache, pride - even, in some ways, guilt.

I think a lot of women, especially ones that want to achieve career goals, tend to worry. I don't want anyone to worry their life away - time goes by so fast, and worry is really wasted time and energy.

President Obama was never going repeal Obamacare - he was not going to be brought to his knees with the threat of a government shutdown.

Blaming alleged victims is not okay, no matter whose side starts it.

Being a conservative has given me clarity; it's given me freedom - my mind is free; therefore, my heart is lighter. And that's a gift from God that I believe we have an obligation to share with others.

My great-grandmother lived to be 100 years old, so I got to know her. She always sent us birthday cards that had $2 bills inside - we kept them for good luck.

I understood early on that the freedom of America is what made our way of life possible and that we should help other people live in freedom, too.

To meet our troops was just wonderful, and I really, really admired the Iraqi security forces I met. I felt like, 'I'm pulling for you guys.' They want peace. They're working hard for it.

The two candidates have very different visions of America. Donald Trump's is very dark: Things are not going well. There are dark days ahead unless you make a change, and he's the one to fix it.

I never thought I would write a memoir at age 40... but I did have this unique place in history.

My dad got me hooked on the news. That was a good thing.

There's no job that will humble you like the White House press secretary job.

The Mexicans are not going to build the wall... they're not going to do it.

I loved the Sunday funnies, and then, as I got a little bit older, I think my dad recognized that it was important for children, and especially girls, to have that time with their dad so that they could help develop their confidence and their critical thinking skills.

My dad was a voracious news consumer. I remember just sitting with my family all the time. I would sit on his lap and read the paper with him. He would read it to me.

My biggest point to everybody is you have a responsibility to build your own network.

I love road trips. If you haven't been on one in a while, it's time to put a trip on your calendar. Driving can help clear the cobwebs of your mind, and you can learn a lot about your fellow Americans while you're at it.

There is freedom in forgiveness, and it's not that hard to do once you get into the habit.

On election night 2000, I had never met then-Governor Bush, though I'd supported him for years. I believed he would be a strong, optimistic and gracious president with solid conservative principles and a big heart.

Good governance, safety, a chance to grow economically and professionally - those are important things.

At some point, you're going to have to be willing to take a punch for your team. If your employees or your teammates will see that you're willing to do that, they are more likely to be loyal to you, and your team is more likely to function better.

Millennials are a very interesting generation for a lot of reasons. They're absolutely adorable, but they have some significant challenges. Their lives and their careers are delayed by about 10 years, partly because of the recession, also because of technology and also because of the way that they approach things.

It's one of my favorite seasons of the year: Back to School. As a kid, I loved fresh school supplies, new outfits, the change of seasons, and the chance to crack open a new textbook.

People really think that the only way I got to be press secretary is because I somehow had a personal family connection to the Bushes or the Cheneys, and that wasn't true.

I have been a Republican, and I've worked in Republican circles for so long, and I know that there are really smart, good policy ideas that are grounded in conservative ideology that could be persuasive for women, especially in an election where no one was really excited about either candidate.

One time, on Marine One, the president asked me my opinion. I had a flashback to being at the kitchen table with my dad. That dominant male figure set me up for being confident to express myself with precision and persuasion.

My dad met my mom at Casper College in the orientation line. He studied business and eventually transferred to the University of Wyoming at Laramie.

Commanders-in-chief make really tough decisions.

I feel like there should be a statute of limitations on scoring political points on the tragedy that was Hurricane Katrina.

You're not going to bring back all the jobs from China.

Once you break someone of the habit of up-talking, they can start to see immediate improvement in their careers.

Conservatives are charitable, forgiving, and are always - always - more willing to laugh at themselves.

In Benin, there's a thing that family members wear the same pattern of traditional African clothing.

Conservatism by its very nature is compassionate.

I would like to have a right not to have an opinion. I don't want to have to care about everything.

Part of the great thing of looking back on how I went from the cattle ranch to the White House was, I was a country music DJ. I saw Garth Brooks perform for free in 1992 at the Colorado State Fair where I met this person who knew about this graduate school program.

Inauguration Day is like two ships passing in the night: the new staff moving in while the other walks out, taking one final look at the White House lawn as they leave with their cardboard box of possessions.

The life my grandparents had was thoroughly American. They built a small ranch into a huge operation and fulfilled my great-grandparents' dreams. Theirs was... a simpler time of contentment and patriotism.

New Year's Eve is a great time to think about making a resolution to change a behavior, improve upon a practice, or to start something new. Most people don't keep their resolutions very far into the year, but there's no reason to wait until Dec 31st to reboot.

Civility is a choice.

I loved the writing process. I loved it.

As a press secretary and on 'The Five,' I've learned that I have a choice in how I answer a question. There's combative or productive - I get to take my pick.

I am particularly interested in helping to heal women who have a fistula after their pregnancies.

Even President Obama has not suggested he could get another country to pay for building a wall between Mexico and the United States.

I've traveled to many countries in Africa, and to me, Benin felt the most hopeful.

I was raised to believe that America was a force for good in the world and that it should take its leadership role seriously.

The Flight 93 Memorial isn't that easy to get to. It isn't like the memorials in New York City or Washington, D.C., where you may go on a business trip or family vacation. No, in order to get to Shanksville, PA, you fly to Pittsburgh, make your way through the traffic and onto the highway that takes you through the beautiful wooded countryside.

Young people really want you to give them a road map, and they will follow it to a tee. If you tell them, 'These are the eight steps you have to take to be successful,' they will do all eight very earnestly.

Humans can make friends easily if they are open to it and are interested in other people.

Sarcasm is like cheap wine - it leaves a terrible aftertaste.

Reality TV is easier to digest if it comes in small amounts.

We are so blessed to be here in America. We have freedom and opportunity unlike anywhere else in the world.

Like most conservatives, my path was a bit meandering. I grew up around people who mostly held conservative or libertarian views. The liberals I knew were fairly quiet about it, or at least I don't remember it being very heavy-handed.

There are times, especially on 'The Five,' where I've lost control for a moment. I always feel bad about it, but those always seem to be the times that people realize, if I'm mad about something, it must really matter.