Donald Rumsfeld Quotes
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After he saw what happened to Saddam Hussein, he (Gaddafi) did not want to be Saddam Hussein. He gave up his nuclear program.
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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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We're so conditioned as a people to think that a military campaign has to be cruise missiles and television images of airplanes dropping bombs, and that's just false. This is a totally different war. We need a new vocabulary. We need to get rid of old think and start thinking about this thing the way it really is.
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If you develop rules, never have more than ten.
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Look at me! I'm sweet and lovable!
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I stand for 8-10 hours a day. Why is standing limited to four hours?
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If in doubt, don't. If still in doubt, do what's right.
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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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I'm not into this detail stuff. I'm more concepty.
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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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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.
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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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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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It is pretty clear that the coalition can win in Afghanistan and Iraq in one way or another, but it will be a long, hard slog. 16
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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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If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.
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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.
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And it is not knowable if force will be used, but if it is to be used, it is not knowable how long that conflict would last. It could last, you know, six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.
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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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I didn't advocate invasion…I wasn't asked.
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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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It is easier to get into something than to get out of it.
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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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If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it.