Donald Rumsfeld Quotes & Sayings (Page 2)

“Think ahead. Don't let day-to-day operations drive out planning.”

“I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that.”

“It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.”

“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.”

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

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

“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.”

“Arguments of convenience lack integrity and inevitably trip you up.”

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

“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.”