Donald Rumsfeld Quotes

And certainly don't get caught by the press having too much to drink, you now, that sort of thing.

When I talk to young people about entering government, I tell them, “Now think of the worst thing you’ve ever done in your life. Don’t tell me what it is. Now think about having it on the 10 o’clock news.”

Everything I say, you know, goes into print. If I make a mistake, it doesn't merely affect me or you, but the country.

Examine our every action through the lens of how we would feel if it were to become front page news.

If you want to be watched 24 hours a day in everything you do, you can't turn that around. You can't wake up three years later and say, 'Stop bothering me, I'm a serious actor,' if all you've done is wear certain clothes and show up half-loaded at clubs.

If you talk about your personal life to the press, you can't be mad at them when they start talking about you, because you invited them in.

You can't ask the press to service you with everything that they have and not expect some of the other stuff in return if you're going to live your life like I have.

I don't have anything to hide but what happens is the media tend to beat up what I say.

I couldn't stand people writing about me the way I write about politicians.

You would think that people who are so powerful would not be so upset by little knocks in the press.

There is nothing worse than a politician that gets defensive and starts attacking the media - and it always looks bad for the politician, because you sign up for this. You live by the sword, you die by the sword.

If you're on TV, you can't complain, right? And I understand that, and it's true to a certain degree.

If you're going to worry about what you said on TV, then don't get on TV.

I don't profess to know how to balance the positive and the negative media attention. It's a gamble every time you put yourself out there, and, certainly, I'm always readjusting to it.

Never do nothing you wouldnt want printed on the front page of The New York Times.

You never want to do anything that you don't want your mother to see, because it will haunt you and eventually come back to bite you!

We live in the public eye, so if one of us makes a mistake, it affects everyone, which makes me think about what I'm doing in life more.

I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected their public responsibilities.

I live my life and I do what I do, and sometimes you forget that people are watching you.

I think it's important to keep things private, and there are certain boundaries I feel very particular about drawing. It may seem fastidious, but my experience of talking to the press is that I need those boundaries to remain very clear.

I try to stay in line and not be a jerk. I've always been conscious that if I really screw up, people might notice.

And understandably so, that when you're in legal jeopardy, you really cannot put yourself in a position to open yourself up to the media.

I think back to some of the things Harry said and some of the things I said trying to be funny. If I said them now, it would be on the front page of every newspaper in the country.

I am very conscious of what I say and do when I go out because the media is quick to make that a story.

Honesty is a good thing, but it is not profitable to its possessor unless it is kept under control.