Myanmar's former generals have looked to American television for tips on how to build a democracy.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton drew laughter Wednesday in Washington as she recounted a conversation with Myanmar's lower house speaker from her historic visit to the country last year.

Clinton said: He "said to me, `Help us learn how to be a democratic congress, a Parliament. He went on to tell me that they were trying to teach themselves by watching old segments of `The West Wing.'"

Clinton smiled: "I said, `I think we can do better than that Mr. Speaker.'"

The drama about a fictional U.S. president's inner-circle stopped broadcasting in 2006, while Myanmar's junta was still in power.

Clinton spoke at an event honoring Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi.