Donald Rumsfeld

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. ”

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. ”

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

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

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. ”

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

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. ”

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

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. ”

The Federal Government should be the last resort, not the first. Ask if a potential program is truly a federal responsibility or whether it can better be handled privately, by voluntary organizations, or by local or state governments. ”