Robert M. Gates Quotes & Sayings (Page 2)

“If Iraq and Afghanistan have taught us anything in recent history, it is the unpredictability of war and that these things are easier to get into than to get out of, and, frankly, the facile way in which too many people talk about, 'Well, let's just go attack them.'”

“I have always voted for who I believed was the best person.”

“I have tried to maintain civil relationships with everyone I meet - and, even if I violently disagree with them, try to be respectful.”

“Well, what I've said is that the war in Iraq will always be clouded by how it began, which was a wrong premise, that there were in fact no weapons of nuclear - weapons of mass destruction.”

“I wish I could set deadlines for the Congress, but that's just not the way the Constitution is written.”

“Health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive.”

“I don't think any president that I worked with has ever said 'pretty please.'”

“I have instincts.”

“Most governments lie to each other. That's the way business gets done.”

“There's a lot of books out there about how you lead change in business, but I've certainly not seen any... on how you do that in public institutions.”