Stephen Hess
Stephen Hess
Stephen H. Hessis a senior fellow emeritus in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution. He studies media, the U.S. presidency, political dynasties and the U.S. government. He first joined Brookings in 1972 and was distinguished research professor of media and public affairs at the George Washington University. He served on Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon's White House staff and as an adviser to Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter...
maybe shirt wants
Maybe he's been ducking this one because he wants to keep his shirt clean,
agenda came last robust state
Last year, he came out with a very robust agenda in the State of the Union.
credit given gone moderate president public success
The year's gone well economically. The president has had moderate success in his legislative program, probably more than the public has given him credit for.
caught leaking
But it's embarrassing when they're caught at it. This time, we caught them leaking from the top.
call effect profound shows
I don't want to call it only cosmetic, because these things do have an effect, but how profound the effect is, that I would question. Much of this is not about policy, it's about motion. It shows that they are responding; that they are moving.
difficult either gets gone politics range reach religion true
By never having used a veto, either everything has gone his way--which is never true in this world--or he's been able to reach an agreement. When politics gets into this range of right and wrong, religion and morality, it is increasingly difficult to compromise.
basically both change gas major number price problems until
He has two major problems: the price of gas and the number of Americans killed in Iraq. Basically nothing is going to change for him until one or both of those problems are alleviated.
candidates elected likely six
Those that are elected on Tuesday, we're likely to have as presidential candidates six and 10 years from now.
basically problems white
This White House's problems are not personnel, they are basically problems of policy.
defend ether gentleman judges popping seems speaks texas
There has been so much game-playing on her behalf, ... Suddenly, Texas judges are popping up out of the ether to defend her, and she seems to have a gentleman caller who speaks on her behalf, and on and on.
across cabinet case looks president reason table vice
The president looks across the cabinet table at the vice president and has to realize, 'The only reason he's there is in case I die.
presidency president
The president was still Ike, and the presidency went on.
appeal beyond democrat ethnic nation needs party
The party needs him and, for all I know, the nation needs him. There hasn't been an African-American Democrat who has had an appeal broadly beyond his ethnic group.
africa elected latin longer president talking week woman
We're talking on a week in which a woman president was inaugurated in Africa and a woman was elected in Latin America, so this is not any longer so unique.