If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it. Donald Rumsfeld More Quotes by Donald Rumsfeld More Quotes From Donald Rumsfeld I would not say that the future is necessarily less predictable than the past. I think the past was not predictable when it started. Donald Rumsfeld stupid silly past 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. Donald Rumsfeld president trying firsts We're not running out of [fixed] targets. Afghanistan is. Donald Rumsfeld target military running No. That's someone else's business. Quagmire is - I don't do quagmires. Donald Rumsfeld iraq-war quagmire war We know where they are [Iraq's weapons of mass destruction]. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat. Donald Rumsfeld wmd iraq war ... something under $50 billion for the cost. How much of that would be the U.S. burden, and how much would be other countries, is an open question. Donald Rumsfeld would-be war country I'm glad you asked. It has nothing to do with oil, literally nothing to do with oil. Donald Rumsfeld iraq-war oil war 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. Donald Rumsfeld mass-destruction gun people 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. Donald Rumsfeld house country people 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. Donald Rumsfeld president missing looks Learn to say 'I don't know.' If used when appropriate, it will be often. Donald Rumsfeld appropriate used knows Make decisions about the President's personal security. He can overrule you, but don't ask him to be the one to counsel caution. Donald Rumsfeld caution decision president One of your tasks is to separate the 'personal' from the 'substantive.' The two can become confused, especially if someone rubs the President wrong. Donald Rumsfeld confused president two Preserve the President's options. He may need them. Donald Rumsfeld hype president needs Presidential leadership needn't always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective. Donald Rumsfeld presidential leadership looks Prune - prune businesses, products, activities, people. Do it annually. Donald Rumsfeld activity products people Public servants are paid to serve the American people. Do it well. Donald Rumsfeld servant wells people Reduce the number of lawyers. They are like beavers - they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up. Donald Rumsfeld dams lawyer numbers 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. Donald Rumsfeld news failing president When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control. Donald Rumsfeld staff layers cutting