A survival guide to working in the Beltway.

1. Washington Rules A Survival Guide

2. Rule #1 If it’s worth fighting for, it’s worth fighting dirty for

3. Rule #2 Don’t lie, cheat, or steal unnecessarily

4. Rule #3 There’s always one more SOB than you counted on

5. Rule #4 An honest answer can get you into a lot of trouble

6. Rule #5 The facts, although interesting, are irrelevant

7. Rule #6 “No” is only an interim response

8. Rule #7 You can’t kill a bad idea

9. Rule #8 If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you ever tried

10. Rule #9 The truth is variable

11. Rule #10 A porcupine with his quills down is just another fat rodent

12. Rule #10 You can agree with any concept or notional concept in principle, but fight implementation every step of the way

13. Rule #11 A promise is not a guarantee

14. Rule #12 If you can’t counter the argument, leave the meeting

15. Rule #13 Vision, without funding, is hallucination

16. Rule #14 Success leads to oversight

17. Washington Rules A Survival Guide Courtesy of Al Kamen