With the press there is no ‘off the record.’
DONALD RUMSFELDWith the press there is no ‘off the record.’
DONALD RUMSFELDDon’t speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn’t walk in their shoes.
DONALD RUMSFELDDon’t blame the boss. He has enough problems.
DONALD RUMSFELDThere are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that’s just a fact.
DONALD RUMSFELDWhat you measure improves.” A corollary rule in the military is that “You get what you inspect, not what you expect.
DONALD RUMSFELDPreserve the President’s options. He may need them.
DONALD RUMSFELDSimply because you do not have evidence that something exists does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn’t exist.
DONALD RUMSFELDIf it were a fact, it wouldn’t be called intelligence.
DONALD RUMSFELDAmidst 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.
DONALD RUMSFELDWhatever your position, reach out to those who know more than you do, and have been around longer than you have. Find those people. Listen carefully. And learn.
DONALD RUMSFELDThere are known knowns, things we know that we know; and there are known unknowns, things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns, things we do not know we don’t know.
DONALD RUMSFELDIf in doubt, don’t. If still in doubt, do what’s right.
DONALD RUMSFELDPresidential leadership needn’t always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective.
DONALD RUMSFELDAgreement can always be reached by increasing the generality of the conclusion; when this is done, the form is generally preserved but only the illusion of policy is created.
DONALD RUMSFELDIf we know anything, it is that weakness is provocative.
DONALD RUMSFELDFirst 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