President Obama’s remarks on stem cell policy today were disappointing. Not because of the policy change – that was expected – but because the president missed an opportunity to have a serious discussion about the issue, instead opting for tired, dogmatic attacks. Serious people understand that many Americans appreciate the enormous healing potential of stem […]
As Vinca mentioned below, Robert Schlesinger offered his opinion about President Obama’s use of the teleprompter – and given Schlesinger’s thorough knowledge of White House speech history, his opinion should be given weight. But I don’t think he’s entirely right. The crux of Schlesinger’s argument is that there’s no difference between delivering a speech using […]
The Chicago Tribune offers some insight into the Obama-Favreau speechwriting team, which emphasizes crafting speeches as stories. “You and I always tell a story pretty well,” the president reportedly told Favreau, and I think that’s a nice way to look at the process. Also, I nominate David Axelrod for head of the speechwriters’ union: “I’ve […]
President Obama’s interview with the New York Times the other day covered a lot of ground, including four things that struck me: 1) The president offered some reassuring words on the economy, which needed to be said: What I don’t think people should do is suddenly stuff money in their mattresses and pull back completely from spending. I […]
Lately, Republicans have been united in opposition to two public figures: Barack Obama and George Bush. While conservatives have tripped all over themselves to praise Rush Limbaugh’s leadership and vision, they wasted no time distancing themselves from the man who may turn out to be the most conservative president elected in this century. Bush was barely mentioned at the recent CPAC […]
Politico‘s Carol Lee writes about President Obama’s ubiquitous teleprompter (which I’ve mentioned a couple times before). Calling it the president’s “safety net,” Lee writes: Obama’s reliance on the teleprompter is unusual – not only because he is famous for his oratory, but because no other president has used one so consistently and at so many events large […]
Wall Street Journal reports today that the Administration is signaling flexibility about the tax increases proposed in its budget. This could be a reflection of the fact that, on tax battles, Republicans usually have a home turf advantage and moderate Dems don’t want to play there. I was thinking about President Clinton’s 1995 declaration to […]
Republicans seem to be keying in on the Obama Administration’s cap-and-trade carbon control proposal as a way to take back some ground on the budget. Recognizing that most Americans love the environment until it costs them something, Republicans peppered Tim Geithner yesterday with questions about how the plan would financially impact individuals and businesses. And […]
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is on the “inherited” beat today, as he testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee. Geithner’s an interesting case because, on the one hand, he wasn’t in Washington as recent spending was turning into deficits; on the other hand, he was an architect of the TARP program that made a substantial contribution […]
Yesterday the Justice Department released several memos written by lawyers in the Bush Administration in the year following the 9/11 attacks. The subject: How far the president’s legal authority extends in pursuit of terrorists. Most of the memos supported a wide berth for the president. Most of the opinions were later rejected. Earlier in the […]
The President’s Weekly Radio Address was a somewhat outmoded custom that President Obama refreshed by ditching the “Radio,” setting up cameras, and putting “Your Weekly Address” on YouTube. This week’s address is a strong pitch in favor of the pretty radical changes the president proposed in his budget. As an opportunity for the president to […]
February 27, 2009 – 4:23 pm
President Obama’s speech today announcing the future withdrawal of US forces from Iraq was outstanding. The president struck exactly the right tone – congratulating the assembled Marines on their success while recognizing that we haven’t quite put a ribbon on the whole project just yet. While Democrats (I’m looking at you, Harry Reid) have too often […]
February 27, 2009 – 10:15 am
If you’re interested in nerdy speech algorithms (and who isn’t, am I right?), consider taking a look at Speech Wars, a web site that not only offers States of the Union and Inaugural Addresses going back to the beginning of the country, but also allows you to find out how frequently particular words have been used […]
February 26, 2009 – 3:17 pm
In case you missed it, Barack Obama had absolutely nothing to do with the budget deficit weighing like a rock on his efforts to lead America out of darkness. President Obama’s favorite word these days is “inherited.” It modifies the word “deficit” almost every time the president utters it. In this week’s address to a […]
February 25, 2009 – 5:50 pm
Today, President Obama nominated his third candidate for Commerce Secretary, former Washington governor Gary Locke. Recognizing the “three strikes” pressure weighing on the nomination, the president smartly joked: “I’m sure it’s not lost on anyone that we’ve tried this a couple of times, but I’m a big believer in keeping at something until you get it […]
