Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived at her new office in Foggy Bottom to much applause from the people who will be working for her, saying that a "new era for America" is dawning.

"I'm going to be asking a lot of you. I want you to think outside the proverbial box. I want you to give me the best advice you can," Clinton told her new staff. "I want you to understand there is nothing that I welcome more than a good debate and the kind of dialogue that will make us better."

In return, the new secretary of State pledged that she would do "all that I can, working with our president, to make sure that we deliver on the promises that are at the very core of what this new administration and this new era represent."

The former first lady heaped praise upon President Obama, with whom she fought a protracted and contentious primary battle last year, and lauded his commitment to working with the State Department to advance his agenda.

She noted that Obama would visit the department later Thursday.

"This is going to be a great adventure. We'll have some ups and some downs. We'll face some obstacles along the way," Clinton said. "But be of good cheer and be of strong heart and do not grow weary as we attempt to do good on behalf of our country and the world."

By Klaus Marre, The Hill, January 22, 2009