Quotes from Donald Rumsfeld

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

Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive.

If you foul up, tell the President and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes.

You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.

In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone.

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.

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

Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last. All the pressures are to the contrary.

Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers - they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up.

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.

In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it.

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."

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.

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

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.

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

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