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" Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up. "
Donald Rumsfeld
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" Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" When you raise issues with the President, try to come away with both that decision and also a precedent. Pose issues so as to evoke broader policy guidance. This can help to answer a range of similar issues likely to arise later. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed or what's gone amiss. Few are able to see what isn't there. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn't considered key aspects of the issue. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are not there by accident. Each managed to get there for some reason. Learn what it was and you will know something important about them, about our country and about the American people. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't divide the world into 'them' and 'us.' Avoid infatuation with or resentment of the press, the Congress, rivals, or opponents. Accept them as facts. They have their jobs and you have yours. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps engender the support decisions need to be successfully implemented. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Simply because you do not have evidence that something exists does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn't exist. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Let your family, staff, and friends know that you're still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If in doubt, don't. If still in doubt, do what's right. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Think ahead. Don't let day-to-day operations drive out planning. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Imagine, a September 11 with weapons of mass destruction. It's not 3,000. It's tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" The Secretary of Defense is not a super General or Admiral. His task is to exercise civilian control over the Department for the Commander-in-Chief and the country. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If you run, you may lose. And, if you tie, you do not win. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential program is truly a federal responsibility or whether it can better be handled privately, by voluntary organizations, or by local or state governments. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Many people around the President have sizeable egos before entering government, some with good reason. Their new positions will do little to moderate their egos. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Oh my goodness gracious, what you can buy off the Internet in terms of overhead photography. A trained ape can know an awful lot of what is going on in this world, just by punching on his mouse, for a relatively modest cost. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to 'carry it off.' "
Donald Rumsfeld
" It is easier to get into something than to get out of it. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Our task, your task... is to try to connect the dots before something happens. People say, 'Well, where's the smoking gun?' Well, we don't want to see a smoking gun from a weapon of mass destruction. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" See that the President, the Cabinet and staff are informed. If cut out of the information flow, their decisions may be poor, not made, or not confidently or persuasively implemented. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be responsible. Give them authority and hold them accountable. Trying to do too much yourself creates a bottleneck. "
Donald Rumsfeld
" Remember where you came from. "
Donald Rumsfeld