Donald Rumsfeld in A Matter of Character

On Foreign Policy: Rumsfeld’s job: military solutions & disagree with Powell

Once Bush decided [to invade Iraq], he never looked back. At that point he expected his White House staff to support him, but he allowed his Cabinet officers wider latitude. “People say that Rumsfeld and Powell are at war with each other,” an aide said. “No kidding. They’re supposed to be. The State Department’s answer to most anything is diplomacy. The Defense Department’s answer to almost anything is weapons and warfare. The question is what is the right mix of those for each situation. You want those differences of opinion to exist in any organization, and you have this ongoing dialogue. The glue that holds it together, according to management consultants, is mutual respect. If you respect one another, you’ll find the right balance. So do Powell and Rumsfeld respect each other? I believe they do. Are their disagreements excessive? Are they dysfunctional? I’ve never seen that.“ Source: A Matter of Character, by Ronald Kessler, p.134-35 Aug 5, 2004

The above quotations are from A Matter of Character: Inside the White House of George W. Bush, by Ronald Kessler. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of Donald Rumsfeld. Click here for Donald Rumsfeld on all issues.
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Page last updated: Feb 15, 2019