The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency

by Chris Whipple

Ford was more effective on Capitol Hill, and his poll numbers were climbing. His reelection prospects now depended in no small part on a thirty-three-year-old who had once been thrown out of college and woke up drunk on a jail cell floor.

arranged for the president to go horseback riding with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle. When the time came, the queen’s horse took off at a gallop—farting uncontrollably. Reagan and his horse rode just behind. Upon their return, the queen stammered, “Mr. President, I am so terribly sorry.” Reagan smiled and cocked his head. “That’s funny,” he responded. “I thought it was the horse.”

After they filed out of his office, Sununu turned to his mild-mannered deputy, Andy Card. “You know what’s going to happen now, don’t you?” he said. “They’re going to go back to their offices and tell everyone, ‘That Sununu is a tough son of a bitch!’ ” Card, whose wife is a minister and who rarely swears, looked at Sununu. “No, they’re not,” he replied. “They’re going to go back to their offices and tell everyone, ‘That Sununu is a f*cking asshole!’