[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E681-E682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF MIKE CAUSEY, COLUMNIST FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

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                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2000

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record the last column by 
Mike Causey, who is moving on to a new career after 36 years at the 
Washington Post.
  As the Post's ``Federal Dairy'' columnist, Mr. Causey has been 
covering federal employee issues for years, and as a Member of Congress 
who has many federal employees in my district, it has been a pleasure 
working with him. He has always been fair and objective, and I want to 
wish him all the best as he moves on to a new career.

                [From The Washington Post, May 8, 2000]

             Today's the Day Diary Columnist Turns the Page

                     (Federal Diary by Mike Causey)

       Well, there comes a time, and this is it.
       This is my last Federal Diary column for the Washington 
     Post.
       I leave this job pretty much as i entered it: still 
     suspicious of the statistics that powerful organizations pump 
     out. For example:
       The usually reliable Washington Post--my longtime home--
     says I produced 11,287 bylines. It seems like more than that. 
     But who's counting?
       Also, The Post says I've been here for 36 years--as 
     messenger, copy boy, reporter and columnist. They got the job 
     titles right. But 36 years? It seems like only yesterday. 
     Honest.

[[Page E682]]

       So, how to sum up?
       The most-asked question (other than, ``Did a real barber 
     cut your hair?'') has been this: How could you produce six 
     columns a week, year after year, without going nuts?
       The answer is simple: for several years I did the Federal 
     Diary column seven days a week. When they gave me Saturdays 
     off, it removed all the pressure. Almost all.
       Secondly, it was part of the job description.
       Finally, I loved every minute of it. Honest.
       Being here for nearly four decades has
       Over the years--in the line of duty--I have been shot at, 
     gassed, tossed off a building. I covered the first Beatles 
     concert and got to be one of the first people to circle the 
     Capital Beltway. I was once run out of a small town in 
     Western Maryland by a mob that, now that I think about it, 
     had good reason to speed my departure from its fair 
     community.
       Being a newspaper reporter means never having to grow up. I 
     got to see how things work, or are supposed to, or don't. The 
     events and machines and tours were fascinating. The people--
     almost without exception--were wonderful.
       Reporters get to meet lots of VIPs. But for most of us 
     ``beat'' reporters, the best part is the so-called ordinary 
     people who, more often than not, are extraordinary. Just 
     quieter than VIPs. The reason they are so good is simple: 
     It's part of their job description. They say (by the way, in 
     all these years I have never discovered who ``they'' are) 
     that reporters are only as good as their sources. True, up to 
     a point. Sources are critical. But the real secret weapon for 
     a successful reporter has two parts:
       The people (as in colleagues) you work with.
       The people (as in readers) you work for.
       It is that simple, and that complicated.
       Working with several generations of Washington Post types 
     has been an education. Trust me on that one.
       Reporters get the glory. But they only look good if they 
     have great editors, researchers and backup. And reporters 
     wouldn't last a minute, and you would never read their award-
     winning words, if it weren't for the people who do the real 
     work. Like sell and process ads, make sure folks get billed 
     and paid--so we can get paid--and produce and deliver the 
     paper. For 25 cents you get, every day, the equivalent of a 
     book printed overnight. Not a bad deal.
       Working with, and writing about, federal employees and 
     military personnel has been a treat. If there are more 
     dedicated people in this country, I have yet to meet them. I 
     have known lots of people who would die for this country, and 
     several who did. Few bankers, columnists, lawyers or CEOs can 
     make that claim.
       Bureaucrats--and I don't have to say this anymore--are 
     indeed beautiful. And don't you forget it.
       I could go on, but I hope you get the idea. Besides, time 
     and space--as always--are limited.
       So has this been fun? And rewarding? Short answer: You bet!
       But this isn't a wake. Or even a goodbye. More in the order 
     of see-you-later. I hope.
       Next stop for me is the brave new world of the Internet. 
     I'll be at 1825 I St. NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20006. 
     Stay in touch.
       I'm leaving here, but The Post will always be home. Always.
       This column has been around since the 1930s. It's been on 
     loan to me for a long time. My successor, Stephen Barr, is an 
     old friend. He's a Texan and a Vietnam vet, and he knows the 
     beat. Best of all, he's a very nice guy.
       I hope Steve has as much fun as I did. Remember, he's had 
     nearly half a century to prepare for his first column, which 
     will begin Sunday. But he will have only one day to write his 
     second column. So a little help and encouragement from you 
     would be nice.
       Thanks.
       Mike

       

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