Here's your hat -- what's your hurry?

Brownie Points

By Rick Horowitz

"Mr. Brown, 50, said he felt no pressure to resign. He said he made his decision on Sunday with his family after a long conversation on Saturday night with Andrew H. Card Jr., the White House chief of staff."

"'Andy was very, very supportive of me,' Mr. Brown said."

Ripped from the morning papers

"Rrriinnnng! Rrriinnnng! Rrriinnnng! Rrriinnnng! Rrriinnnng! Rrriinnnng! Rrrii -- "

"Hello, this is the Brown residence -- we can't come to the phone right now. If you're calling to speak to Michael Brown and you're not playing the blame game, please leave a -- "

"Brownie? This is Andy Card calling."

"This is the Brown residence -- we really can't come to the phone right now. If you're -- "

"Brownie, this is Andy Card. I just want to talk."

"If you're not playing the blame game, or...or pointing fingers, then..."

"Brownie? I know it's you."

"Hi, Andy."

"Hi, Brownie. Tough couple of days, huh?"

"Oh, not so bad. My family's still talking to me. My neighbors are still talking to me."

"Well, that's -- "

"Most of them, anyway. And I've been getting a flood of e-mail -- some very nice messages in there."

"And you certainly deserve them. You had a difficult job to -- "

"I guess 'flood' probably isn't the best word to use. You know, under the circumstances and all?"

"Maybe not. How about 'batch'? You got a 'batch' of e-mail."

"That's definitely better. You guys are always so good with words -- I wish I was that good with words."

"Now, don't go kicking yourself, Brownie. You've got nothing to be ashamed about. You were a disaster of -- I mean, you were in a disaster of unprecedented proportions, and we all struggled, every one of us. You just happened to be front and center, so you caught most of the flak."

"It goes with the territory."

"Absolutely!"

"And I've still got my health."

"Absolutely!"

"And I'm still running FEMA."

" "

"I said, 'And I'm still running FEMA.'"

"Brownie, the president wouldn't have put you there if he didn't think you could do the work."

"That's what I keep saying to my family! The president wouldn't have put me there if he didn't think I could do the work."

"The right people for the right circumstances -- that's how the president always looks at it."

"And when he told me, 'Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job'?"

"He meant every syllable of it."

"That was very generous of him -- especially with all the hits he's been taking over it."

"Well, you know our guy: He sticks up for his people -- it's just the way he is. And when his people decide they can't be useful anymore -- that's their decision. When to leave, I mean."

"Sure. And then he gives them medals."

"That's right! Sometimes he does! But the thing is, he'd never pressure anyone to go."

"Stick by him, and he'll stick by you."

"That's our guy."

"I -- hey, that was like a Louisiana joke! He'll stick by you, get it? By you?"

"'Bayou.' I get it. He'll stick 'bayou.' That was a good one."

"At least I've still got my sense of humor."

"You bet! And that's really -- "

"How would Monday be?"

"Monday would be fine. I'll tell the president."

"Thanks, Andy."

"Thanks, Brownie."

Posted 9/13/05. Stay right on top of the news with award-winning commentary from syndicated columnist Rick Horowitz! (Have you told your friends?)

Rick Horowitz is a syndicated columnist, TV commentator, writing coach and public speaker.

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