Donald Rumsfeld Quotes

There are a lot of things that are said by people in the military, or civilian life, or in the Congress, or in the Executive Branch, that are their views. And that's the way we live. We're a free people. And that's the wonderful thing about our country.

Freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.

Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life.

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

No terror state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

In the execution of Presidential decisions work to be true to his views, in fact and tone.

Don't automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn't considered key aspects of the issue.

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

Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems.

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.

America is not what's wrong with the world.

When starting at the bottom, be willing to learn from those at the top.

When business accepts help from the government, it can be like going to bed with a hippopotamus. It's nice and warm for the moment, but then your bedmate rolls over and crushes you.

Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a correct judgment.