We made it to the Grove last night (where we bumped into L.A. Observed's Kevin Roderick -- small world) to hear Madeleine Albright speak about her book, Memo To the President: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership.

While she described the book-as-memo conceit "a gimmick," she made some very salient points about what the next president is going to have to do and how best to do it. She spoke eloquently for about 40 minutes, interweaving her own experiences, random pieces of history (a woman reporter once got an interview with President John Quincy Adams by sitting on his clothes at the bank of the Potomac where he liked to skinny dip) and even-handed assessments of where this country is headed.

If only the people who were called on to ask questions were as bright and well-spoken as she. Among the first, was a guy who brought up that Lesley Stahl interview from 150 years ago.

"Not only have I apologized for that, I've called it the single stupidest thing I have ever said in my life," Albright told the audience member, we imagine adding in her head, but thanks for bringing that up.