There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that’s just a fact.
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.
Presidential leadership needn’t always cost money. Look for low- and no-cost options. They can be surprisingly effective.
Don’t do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post.
You’re thinking of Eurpoe as Germany and France. I don’t. I think that’s old Europe.
With the press there is no ‘off the record’.
Preserve the President’s options. He may need them.
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.
Don’t blame the boss. He has enough problems.
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.
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.
In politics, every day is filled with numerous opportunities for serious error. Enjoy it.
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.
See that the President, the Cabinet and staff are informed. If cut out of the information flow, their decisions may be poor, not made, or not confidently or persuasively implemented.
Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a correct judgment.
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.
Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life.
It isn’t making mistakes that’s critical; it’s correcting them and getting on with the principal task.
When asked for your views, by the press or others, remember that what they really want to know is the President’s views.
Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.
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