There is a great little story from the movie Traffic. James Brolin, the retiring drug czar, is being replaced by Michael Douglas. They meet in Brolin's office in Washington. Brolin relay's this story to Douglas.
"When Khrushchev was being replaced as Premier, he gave his successor two letters and he told him if he ever found himself in a situation he couldn't handle to open the first letter. Then he told him that if he ever found himself in another situation he couldn't handle to open the second letter.
Some time passed and the new Premier
found himself in a situation he couldn't handle
so he opened the first letter.
The letter said "blame me".
Time passed again and the new Premier
found himself in another situation he couldn't handle
so he opened the second letter.
It said "sit down and write two letters".