Donald Rumsfeld, United States Secretary of Defense and Ford Administration White House Chief Of Staff, was welcomed with a warm round of applause to the Ford Presidential Museum to discuss his new book, “Known and Unknown”. The tome provides a myriad of personal experiences which Rumsfeld acquired over a long and rich career in public service.

Steve Ford, son of President and Mrs. Ford, welcomed Rumsfeld and Richard Norton Smith to the stage as they discussed the New York Times and Wall Street Journal number one best seller. Smith is former Director of the Ford Museum and Library and currently part of the George Mason University faculty.

Rumsfeld spent the majority of their dialogue offering anecdotal accounts about his career in public service. “Known and Unknown” and the conversation start with the events in Lebanon in 1983. Approximately 240 Marines and Corpsmen were killed when U.S. barracks in Beirut were blown up by Islamic Jihad. This would be the first terrorist situation Rumsfeld would be forced to deal with. The experience of the Beirut attack would echo years later with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001…an event that would eventually come to define Rumsfeld’s career not only as serving Secretary of Defense at the time, but as a public servant.

Rumsfeld then spoke of his relationship with President Ford and his role within his administration. The two had served together in Congress before Ford was appointed President, and as Rumsfeld pointed out, their friendship would continue as their served together as President and Chief of Staff. He admired Ford for his ability to work across the aisle to get things done that he believed in. With natural ease in dealing with people and a desire to make great the Republican party, the minority in Congress at the time, Ford would eventually be nominated Minority Leader.

As Nixon prepared to resign, Ford called Rumsfeld who at the time was serving as Ambassador to NATO in Belgium. Rumsfeld responded to the appeal of his friend and flew back to Washington where he became chairman of Ford’s transition. Rumsfeld remembered how hard it was on Ford that he was never elected Vice President or President, and how his work as a legislator, not an executive would shape the transfer of power. Ford, taking office at a time when the economy was worse than it is today and the unpopular war in Vietnam “in the tank” and about to end, was beset with challenges straight away. Rumsfeld credits Ford’s experience as an expert communicator, having a truly wonderful nature, decency, and humanness as well as his expertise in working “across the aisle” for the healing of the country and refilling of the “reservoir of trust” in the country which had been drained by unsavory events taking place prior to Ford’s swearing in.

The interview concluded with Rumsfeld’s insights on the world today, most notably National Defense. He addressed the current situation regarding terrorism and illustrated how we are engaged not so much in a battle of right and wrong, but rather a competition of ideas. He shared his thoughts on the feasibility of American style democracy in the Middle East, and end goal for multiple military campaigns, including that in Iraq. Rumsfeld offered great thoughts on how it was unrealistic to believe that such ideals would be accepted immediately, if ever, in countries with other own cultures, traditions and ways of thinking. He noted that it took America a long time to achieve the democracy it has today, and that it has been a bumpy road getting here, pointing out that until the 1860’s slavery existed, and women could not vote until well into the 20th century. He ended the interview by quoting a memo he had written during his tenure as Secretary of Defense which concluded that we must have a “healthy respect for things we are not capable of doing”.

More information about Donald Rumsfeld’s new book can be found on his webpage; www.rumsfeld.com

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