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All the entries posted on December 15, 2006.
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Home > Window on Washington > Archives > 2006 > December > 15
Friday, December 15, 2006
Casual Friday
It was a bold fashion choice in a button-down White House.
Famed Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky opted for the open-collar, no-tie look today when he showed up in the East Room to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bush, a stickler for proper attire and decorum.
Bush made no mention of the tieless look, opting instead to praise the visiting Israeli as a “voice of freedom inside an empire of tyranny” during his days in the Soviet Union.
“Natan Sharansky is a witness to that power and his testimony brings hope to those who still live under oppression,” Bush said.
And it’s testimony to a life that earns you the right to show up at the White House without a tie.
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Speaking Up (for a fee)
They’re new. They’re exclusive. And they’re listed on the “new and exclusive” section at the Washington Speakers Bureau.
It’s brothers Mark and Scott McClellan, both now out of the White House and interested in picking up a speaking fee or two.
Mark McClellan headed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Scott (shown above at his final briefing in May) was White House press secretary. Both have signed up with the Washington Speakers Bureau, one of the nation’s leading providers of for-hire speechifyers.
Mark’s speech topics include “The Future of Health Care: Leading Change to Deliver Value.”
And if that one won’t light up your annual meeting or convention, he also can talk about “The Politics of Health Care Innovation” or “Reforming Medicare” or “Reforming Medicare: Covering the Uninsured and Providing for Long-Term Care.”
The bureau suggests three speech topics for Scott: “U.S. Politics: Insight from an Insider,” “The Presidency: Towards 2008” and “Behind the News.”
The latter includes topics he might deal with in the book he is planning to write.
“McClellan engages audiences with a discussion about the role of the media in the national discourse,” the bureau says. “How does the press influence decisions in Washington? Who holds the media accountable? Are the media reporting the news or making the news? And what does all this mean in the everyday lives of American people?”
How much, you ask?
Mark is listed as a “fee code 4,” which translates to $15,000 to $25,000.
For Scott, it says “Contact WSB,” which seems to invite haggling.
No listing on what it would cost for a duet by The Brothers McClellan.
Former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card is sandwiched between the brothers in the “new and exclusive” section of the bureau’s website.
Card also is a “Contact WSB” level speaker.
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Chanukah Greetings
Just in time for tonight’s lighting of the first candle, President Bush has issued his annual Chanukah greeting.
The statement pays tribute to the Jews’ underdog victory of many years ago.
“After Jerusalem was conquered by an oppressive king and the Jews lost their right to worship in freedom, Judah Maccabee and his followers courageously set out to reclaim Jerusalem from foreign rule,” Bush said. “Though their numbers were small, the Maccabees’ dedication to their faith was strong and they emerged victorious.”
Bush proclaimed the Chanukah menorah as “a reminder of the blessings of a just and loving God and the sacrifices made over the centuries for faith and freedom.”
The White House Chanukah reception is set for next Monday.
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Bluesman Smiles!
That’s blues legend B.B. King bluesless as he received his Presidential Medal of Freedom today from President Bush during an East Room ceremony honoring this year’s 10 winners.
“One of America’s unique gifts to the world is a music called the blues,” Bush said. “And in that music, two names are paramount: B.B. King and his guitar Lucille.”
Bush had warm words for all 10 winners, including writer William Safire, whose impressive body of work includes a weekly New York Times Magazine column about language.
“Bill has said that his own language column attracts more mail than any of his other work,” Bush said. “People write me about my language too.”
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