Anybody who's seen the television show “The West Wing” knows Leo McGarry, the White House Chief of Staff. But not everyone knows the real White House chief of staff is Andy Card, and that he is from Holbrook, Massachusetts. Similar to “The West Wing,” the White House policy staff works for the chief of staff. This means Card is a very busy man.
On a very tragic day, Card was the one who broke the news to President Bush that a second plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.
After a meeting with the Massachusetts and Maine delegations during the Convention, Card was asked a question about the "seven minutes" that appear in Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. "Seven minutes" is a description of the amount of time the President sat listening to a teacher read a book after he heard about the second plane.
Card defended the President. "I whispered in the President's ear that a second plane had hit the tower and we were under attack," he said."He was in an elementary classroom filled with very young students. The President acted entirely appropriately. He was patient, collected his thoughts, and did not introduce any fear into those young people -- or to demonstrate any fear for the nation."
Card has faith that George Bush will be re-elected this November because the people think he's a good leader. "He has a great, hopeful, optimistic view of what's going on in this country because of the work that has already been done."
Card is a former state representative, and was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1982. He served in the first President Bush's administration, and worked on both Presidents Bush's Presidential campaigns.
Card says he does not talk about what happens in private. "I honestly try not to talk about my private moments with the President," he said. "The one most important value I have is the President's trust. I could not do the job I have if I didn't have his complete confidence."
