Quite a while ago I clipped a news article about some observations Donald Rumsfeld had made thru his years in politics. The guy makes some good points about life in general. Following is an excerpt...
- Don't begin to think you're the President. (Or the Prophet, or the Boss or...) You're not. The Constitution provides for only one. (A little humility and perspective goes a long ways.)
- Visit with your predecessors from previous administrations. They know the ropes and can help you see around some corners. Try to make original mistakes rather than needlessly repeating theirs.
- Learn to say, "I don't know." If used when appropriate, it will be often.
- Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post.
- If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it.
- Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance.
- It is easier to get into something than to get out of it.
- Don't think of yourself as indispensable or infallible. As Charles de Gaulle said, the cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men.
- It takes everyone to make a happy day. (Said by his daughter Marcy in 1961, when she was 7.)
Don't suppose we could clone him and give Obama some common sense help????
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