Mick Mulvaney knew he had arrived. His new job as federal budget chief came with a plush corner office across the street from the White House and purview over every dime spent by the federal government. The new gig did not, however, come with business cards.
Liberal protesters quickly filled that gap in office supplies. There was no subtle coloring to look at or tasteful thickness to enjoy, just a 2-inch-by-3.5-inch piece of card stock with Mulvaney’s name, number, and title: “Budget Douche.”
“You know you hit the big time when these guys started trolling me with [fake] business cards,” Mulvaney told the Washington Examiner during a recent sit-down interview inside the Eisenhower Office Building. A good sport and a tightwad, Mulvaney couldn’t part with them.
“I actually used these the first six weeks I was here because I was too cheap,” Mulvaney said, handing the calling cards out to the Washington Examiner‘s editorial board. “I had to pay for my own business cards and I just could not bring myself to do it.”
Even without his business card, plenty of politicians in Washington know how to get ahold of Mulvaney. And they’ve been blowing up his phone lines with complaints about how his new budget cuts Social Security disability insurance and food stamps. Summing up the mood about the spending cuts, Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., described the president’s budget as “draconian.”
But while there’s debate over that budget (specifically whether the numbers will actually balance in a decade), there’s no question about the accuracy of Mulvaney’s information. His name, number, and address are all correct on the “douche” cards.
So it’s business cards, at no cost to Mulvaney or the taxpayer, “so long as you don’t mind being called a ‘budget douche,'” Mulvaney says with a laugh.
“You’ve got to have a sense of humor about this job, boys,” Mulvaney says settling down to his spreadsheets and budget projections as the interview ends, “otherwise it will drive you crazy.” And he’s probably right.
There’s another business card that Mulvaney passes out but it’s not his favorite. In big bold letters, it simply blares “EVIL,” and gives Mulvaney the title of “starver of hungry children and elderly.”
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
