January 26, 2009 – 10:21 am
Last week, a distinguished British blogger took issue with a January 19th posting in which I said that, “Inaugural addresses invariably remind us of America’s historically unmatched commitment to popular sovereignty and individual liberty…” I’d like to respond. The blogger was Max Atkinson and his challenge is here. As he wrote: My point is not […]
January 25, 2009 – 9:23 pm
For those of you who like your political messages in limited-verbiage poster form, Paste magazine offers this handy tool. It allows you to upload any photo (one you’ve taken or one you download) and turn it into one of those iconic blue and red offset prints from the Obama campaign. At left: My recent creation […]
January 25, 2009 – 3:38 pm
In an earlier post, I mentioned the trouble comedians were having coming up with a funny trope to use to poke fun at President Obama. The experts’ conclusion seems to be that Vice President Biden is the fattest target for humor in the Administration. Now we see the story developing further. It’s not just Biden, see, but Obama’s […]
January 23, 2009 – 12:06 pm
News that former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain was dumped from Bank of America yesterday capped a remarkably tone-deaf period in Thain’s otherwise successful ascent of the Wall Street ladder. After being brought in to restore confidence in Merrill in 2007, and then hailed as a shareholder savior when he arranged Merrill’s sale to BofA […]
January 21, 2009 – 10:44 am
Reaction to President Obama’s inaugural address has been fairly tempered in the 22 hours since it was delivered. Aside from Mark and Clark, no one seems to think it was a home run. Few seem to think it will be memorable in and of itself – apart from the reality of Obama’s place in history. […]
January 21, 2009 – 10:15 am
In his inaugural address, President Obama spoke with force and depth – and went far to confirm himself as more than the winner of an election, but as the leader of the entire country. In broad strokes he did what every president does in his first speech on entering office: He reaffirmed the American experience […]
January 20, 2009 – 5:21 pm
Listening to President Obama’s magnificent Inaugural address today, I am struck by his ability to hit on what every American craves out of Washington—a willingness to put work before politics. “On this day,” he said, “we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that […]
January 20, 2009 – 12:29 pm
So the moment has passed; the address is delivered. It will be remembered, probably not as one of the best, but certainly as one of the most consequential. Everyone will take their own piece of it with them. Here’s what I took. The most heart-stirring line, coming near the end of the speech, captured the […]
January 20, 2009 – 10:12 am
Whatever your politics, today is a day of great moments. In one profound respect, Barack Obama’s inauguration is similar to those of Andrew Jackson and John F. Kennedy, not so much as a matter of American politics, but of American culture. A group that felt excluded to one degree or another from the American system […]
January 20, 2009 – 9:01 am
The normally unbearable Richard Cohen pulls out a nice piece today in the Washington Post. He reminds us that, aside from Lincoln and Kennedy and all, Barack Obama will have a few other things on his mind as he steps up to the podium to deliver his inaugural address. He also (inadvertently?) previews the first […]
January 20, 2009 – 8:53 am
On The Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday – the day before Inauguration Day – Jill Biden told the audience that Barack Obama gave her husband, Joe, the option of being either vice president or Secretary of State. Doh! Furthermore, Mrs. Biden suggested that her husband chose the VP slot because it would involve less travel, sort of the […]
January 18, 2009 – 11:46 pm
I want to take a break from the euphoria of the inaugural weekend for a few thoughts on the new president’s use of rhetoric to enhance his power. A key theme of the Obama campaign and of the soon-to-be-sworn-in president’s statements since election day has been the call to bring “Democrats, Republicans and Independents”, along […]
January 18, 2009 – 11:32 pm
According to Barack Obama’s advisors, Tuesday’s inaugural address is essentially written. And a theme has emerged: responsibility. As AP reports, Rahm Emanuel, chief of staff to the president-elect, told Meet the Press on Sunday that Obama will “call on Americans to embrace a new era of responsible behavior – in government and in business.” That […]
January 18, 2009 – 10:22 am
Let’s call it the faith-based equivalent of a cage match: on one side of our national Mall, this afternoon, V. Gene Robinson, the openly gay Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, will deliver the invocation at the Beyonce-Bono-Springsteen inaugural celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. Two days later, the Rev. Rick Warren, the prominent mega-church pastor and […]
January 16, 2009 – 7:47 pm
In the wake of Thursday’s US Airways near-disaster on the Hudson River, and the heroic actions of the pilot and crew in keeping all the passengers alive, some have suggested that the event – or at least its main players – might find a place in Tuesday’s inaugural address. Perhaps, but I think it would […]
