Quotes By Donald Rumsfeld

If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random.

Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles De Gaulle said, the cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men.

Don't automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn't considered key aspects of the issue.

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.

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.

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.

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.

With the press there is no "off the record."

Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.

Politics is human beings; it's addition rather than subtraction.

Treat each federal dollar as if it was hard earned; it was - by a taxpayer.

Many people around the President have sizeable egos before entering government, some with good reason. Their new positions will do little to moderate their egos.

There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact.

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.

If in doubt, don't. If still in doubt, do what's right.

Don't say "the White House wants." Buildings can't want.

Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes.

Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war.

Congress, the press, and the bureaucracy too often focus on how much money or effort is spent, rather than whether the money or effort actually achieves the announced goal.

Preserve the President's options. He may need them.

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.

When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.

Let your family, staff, and friends know that you're still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position.

The Secretary of Defense is not a super General or Admiral. His task is to exercise civilian control over the Department for the Commander-in-Chief and the country.

Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance.

It is easier to get into something than to get out of it.

Remember where you came from.

Make decisions about the President's personal security. He can overrule you, but don't ask him to be the one to counsel caution.

Learn to say "I don't know." If used when appropriate, it will be often.

Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to "carry it off."