Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last. All the pressures are to the contrary.

From where you sit, the White House may look as untidy as the inside of a stomach. As is said of the legislative process, sausage-making and policy-making shouldn't be seen close-up. Don't let that panic you. Things may be going better than they look from the inside.

I never dreamed I would one day work at it White House.

Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors persist or if the fit feels wrong, help them move on. The country cannot afford amateur hour in the White House.

What this White House really needs is a chief of staff who can read Machiavelli in the original Italian.

'First Family' on the CW is about the president and his family living in the White House.