evidence: But, I decided to do it and we made some pretty substantial gains. We reduced non-defense civil employment by over 100,000 positions. We saved more than $20 billion in benefits and we did institute performance standards to induce government employees to work more effectively. What was the result? The Washington Post ran my photograph on the cover of its weekly magazine with the headline: "Reagan’s Terrible Swift Sword of the Civil Service." I was called "combative," the "Grinch in the Pinstripe Suit," and, my favorite: "the Rasputin of the Reduction-in-Force." (I always remembered, however, what Harry Truman used to say about doing a tough job in Washington, "If you need a friend in Washington, buy a dog.")