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" Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last. All the pressures are to the contrary. "
Donald Rumsfeld
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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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" When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control. "
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" Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors persist or if the fit feels wrong, help them move on. The country cannot afford amateur hour in the White House. "
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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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" Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post. "
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" 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. "
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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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" 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. "
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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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" There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact. "
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" Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer. "
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" Secretary Powell and I agree on every single issue that has ever been before this administration except for those instances where Colin's still learning. "
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" 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. "
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" I don't do quagmires. "
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" Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance. "
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" Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership. "
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" Amidst all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from all the static, are the goals set. Put your head down, do the best job possible, let the flak pass, and work towards those goals. "
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" Politics is human beings; it's addition rather than subtraction. "
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" Let your family, staff, and friends know that you're still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position. "
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" Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems. "
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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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" Preserve the President's options. He may need them. "
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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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" Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers - they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up. "
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" Remember where you came from. "
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" If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random. "
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" Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men. "
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" Prune - prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually. "
Donald Rumsfeld