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" 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
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" If a prospective Presidential approach can't be explained clearly enough to be understood well, it probably hasn't been thought through well enough. If not well understood by the American people, it probably won't 'sail' anyway. Send it back for further thought. "
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" Reduce the layers of management. They put distance between the top of an organization and the customers. "
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" 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. "
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" Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to 'carry it off.' "
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" Preserve the President's options. He may need them. "
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" Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps engender the support decisions need to be successfully implemented. "
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" Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up. "
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" If in doubt, move decisions up to the President. "
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" Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive. "
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" There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know. "
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" The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don't tell him the truth. Others won't do it. "
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" Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective. "
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" If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it. "
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" 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. "
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" If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random. "
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" Make decisions about the President's personal security. He can overrule you, but don't ask him to be the one to counsel caution. "
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" Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life. "
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" You're thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don't. I think that's old Europe. "
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" 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. "
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" I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that. "
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" Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership. "
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" Leave the President's family business to him. You will have plenty to do without trying to manage the First Family. They are likely to do fine without your help. "
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" Plan backwards as well as forward. Set objectives and trace back to see how to achieve them. You may find that no path can get you there. Plan forward to see where your steps will take you, which may not be clear or intuitive. "
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" Don't automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn't considered key aspects of the issue. "
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" When asked for your views, by the press or others, remember that what they really want to know is the President's views. "
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" There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact. "
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" I don't do quagmires. "
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" Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well. "
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" In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it. "
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