Dick Armitage: The Most Honorable Man in Washington

Description: Always tell the truth.

Transcript: My name is Rich Armitage. I’m not the President of Armitage International. I was previously the Deputy Secretary of State, and before that the Assistant Secretary of Defense. I was born in Boston and I grew up in Decatur, Georgia. I guess it made me a big sports fan, actually. Because if you live in the South, it’s a mad football area. It . . . Football was the sport that I played through high school. It got me a scholarship to college, which happened to be the U.S. Naval Academy. I would say I had a football coach by the name of George Maloof who is still alive in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a great Sugar Bowl and touchdown scorer for Georgia Tech years and years ago. He taught me a lot about sticking to things and giving 110%. The piece of advice I received when I was young came from my father. And it was, “Always tell the truth. That way you won’t have to remember what you told anyone.”

Recorded on: 9/14/07

Description: India, Pakistan and Valerie Plame.

Transcript: Perhaps in the last administration – that is the first Bush administration – perhaps the resolution of the very neuralgic situation which existed between India and Pakistan. That’s on the good side. We resolved that peacefully. On the bad side, I certainly was known as someone who inadvertently leaked the name of a CIA agent and caused quite a bit of trouble; though I’m pleased to say the advice of my father – that is “Always tell the truth” – is what I did there. Hence I was . . . I was not found witting of any crime.

Recorded on: 9/14/07