The United States Isn't Going To Do

Most Of The 50 Or So Invitations You Receive Each Week Come From People Inviting The President's Chief Of Staff, Not You. If You Doubt That, Ask Your Predecessor How Many He Received Last Week.

It Is Hard To Put A Price On Some Things. What Is The Value Of Having Prevented Nuclear Weapons From Getting Into The Hands Of A Dictator Like Saddam Hussein - Or Of Gadhafi?

Have A Deputy And Develop A Successor. Don't Be Consumed By The Job Or You'll Risk Losing Your Balance. Keep Your Mooring Lines To The Outside World - Family, Friends, Neighbors, People Out Of Government, And People Who May Not Agree With You.

... Something Under $50 Billion For The Cost. How Much Of That Would Be The U.s. Burden, And How Much Would Be Other Countries, Is An Open Question.

To Gain Support In U.s. Congress And From Other Nations Requires Clarity, An Acceptable Mission And An Explicit Outcome.