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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. "
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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" In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it. "
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" It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task. "
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" 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. "
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" 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. "
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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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" Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to 'carry it off.' "
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" Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war. "
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" If it were a fact, it wouldn't be called intelligence. "
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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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" In our system leadership is by consent, not command. To lead a President must persuade. Personal contacts and experiences help shape his thinking. They can be critical to his persuasiveness and thus to his leadership. "
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" Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer. "
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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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" If in doubt, don't. If still in doubt, do what's right. "
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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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" Remember where you came from. "
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" It is easier to get into something than to get out of it. "
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" Visit with your predecessors from previous Administrations. They know the ropes and can help you see around some corners. Try to make original mistakes, rather than needlessly repeating theirs. "
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" In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone. "
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" Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find problem areas, add structure and delegate. The pressure is to do the reverse. Resist it. "
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" If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random. "
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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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" Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective. "
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" Don't say 'the White House wants.' Buildings can't want. "
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" With the press there is no 'off the record.' "
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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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" Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership. "
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" Simply because you do not have evidence that something exists does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn't exist. "
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" Politics is human beings; it's addition rather than subtraction. "
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" If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes. "
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