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Week 50: No Runs, Hits, Errors
Tweet Share on Facebook December 31, 2009 Comment (4)Pollster John Zogby updates our weekly Obama Report Card with a grade on the president's performance. Zogby uses his polling, expert analysis and interaction with major players to come up with a grade and some comments that capture how he see's the president's week ending.
John Zogby on Week 50:
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Reporters Divvy Up the Tough Questions
Tweet Share on Facebook December 31, 2009 Comment (3)By Jessica Rettig, Washington Whispers
One of the hardest things for the young reporters embedded in the presidential campaigns in 2008 was to ask the tough questions without getting on a candidate's bad side. After all, between the catering and travel arrangements, the campaigns took pretty good care of their reporters. ABC's Bret Hovell, an off-camera John McCain embed, says his colleagues had a solution: Alternate who had to ask the hard question of the day. Sometimes that wasn't enough, though, as campaign aides would chew the reporters out for any critical story their network did.
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Whole Grains Council: Feed Obama's Sweet Tooth
Tweet Share on Facebook December 30, 2009 Comment (1)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
President Obama is a freak for White House pastry chef Bill Yosses's pies but limits his snacking. To feed his fix, the Whole Grains Council is suggesting healthful grains. "He needs to throw away that old idea that things that taste good and are good for you aren't the same," says Cynthia Harriman of the council, which just shipped Yosses a copy of its King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook, full of healthful recipes. While nobody likes to reveal the state secrets inside the kitchen, a council spokesman tells Whispers, "We're quite confident that any and all visions of sugarplums happening at the White House are now whole grain!"
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10 Keys to an Obama Comeback
Tweet Share on Facebook December 29, 2009 Comment (28)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
It happened to Ronald Reagan. Ditto for Bill Clinton. And now President Obama has ended his first year in office plummeting in the polls on the heels of a bad economy. So can Obama come back as Reagan and Clinton did? We asked around to come up with ideas for his recovery—some serious, like creating jobs, and others less so, like showing more humor. Most involve a little better luck for Obama, while some call for choosing between what's popular and what's needed for the country. Here are the 10 keys to an Obama comebacK: [See a slide show of the 10 Keys to an Obama Comeback.]
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Bush Recovering From Presidentialitis
Tweet Share on Facebook December 29, 2009 Comment (27)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
George W. Bush is finally recovering from presidentialitis. Recent visitors tell us that the Decider has had difficulty adjusting to life outside of the White House. But now he's in great spirits, looking younger and wrapping up work on his autobiography. New on that front is his addition of how God; his dad, the former president; and his wife have influenced his life.
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Bill Clinton Wants to Supersize His Library
Tweet Share on Facebook December 28, 2009 Comment (9)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Reagan's has an Air Force One. Bush's has a TBM Avenger like the one he flew in World War II. And in the bigger-is-better world of presidential libraries, only Hoover's is smaller than former President Clinton's. All of which has Clinton itching to expand his library and museum in Little Rock, Ark., to include more gee-whiz exhibits.
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Matalin and Carville Don't Like a TV Fight
Tweet Share on Facebook December 25, 2009 Comment (2)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
It's bad enough for their marriage that Democrat James Carville and Republican Mary Matalin don't agree on politics. So please don't ask them to appear on weekend TV shoutfests together. "I don't like to fight with my husband on TV," Matalin says. "We have to get a martini right after." Over the years, they've chosen to appear jointly only on the late Tim Russert's Meet the Press and CNN's State of the Union with John King. "They aren't for having a fight for fight's sake," says Carville.
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Holiday Greetings from the Obamas, the Palins, and the RNC
Tweet Share on Facebook December 24, 2009 Comment (2)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Which is it, "Christmas" or "holidays"? President and Michelle Obama's card (top row, below) wishes a "joyous holiday season." The Republican National Committee (bottom row, left) goes with "this blessed time." Sarah Palin (bottom row, right) just says it: "Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year."
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It Was an Historic Week for Obama
Tweet Share on Facebook December 24, 2009 Comment (2)Pollster John Zogby updates our weekly Obama Report Card with a grade on the president's performance. Zogby uses his polling, expert analysis and interaction with major players to come up with a grade and some comments that capture how he see's the president's week ending.
John Zogby on Week 49:
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Luntz: Protect Paying Frequent Fliers
Tweet Share on Facebook December 24, 2009 Comment (4)By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Add political message-man Frank Luntz to the list of those who shout, "There ought to be a law." His target: US Airways. Luntz regularly logs about 300,000 miles a year helping candidates like Rudy Giuliani and Fortune 500 companies craft their sales pitch.
