American - Politician | July 9, 1932 -
Don't say 'the White House wants.' Buildings can't want.
Donald Rumsfeld
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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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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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The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don't tell him the truth. Others won't do it.
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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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When asked for your views, by the press or others, remember that what they really want to know is the President's views.
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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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Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive.
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If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
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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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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.
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If the staff lacks policy guidance against which to test decisions, their decisions will be random.
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