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...
change nature
It doesn't change the nature of the court.
bad good heard
We need to know how bad it is — but we want a little good news, too. We've heard a lot about how bad Americans are, or some Americans were in Katrina, but we're not a bad people.
agenda came last robust state
Last year, he came out with a very robust agenda in the State of the Union.
main
That's the main thing he's got going for him,
came none robust second series shifted term
He really came into his second term with a series of robust proposals, and he's accomplished none of them. His circumstances have shifted dramatically.
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.
past terms
I don't think they're necessarily better than some past administrations in terms of the spin. What they have done which distinguishes them ... is how close-mouthed they are.
cost historic people room run state talk union wiggle
I don't think this is going to be one of those historic State of the Union messages. When people talk about new initiatives, they cost money. He's run out of wiggle room there.
hope local national politics
How much is this going to be a national election? Clearly, the Republicans will hope it's not. ?All politics is local will be their mantra.
congress houses last loses presidency
If he loses two houses of Congress, or even one, the last two years of his presidency are toast.
bad dominating katrina month
A month from now, if Katrina is still dominating the headlines, he really is in bad shape,
adequate elections iraq issue
An adequate withdrawal by mid-year 2006 could neutralize Iraq as the overriding issue of the mid-term congressional elections.
everywhere front line
The front line is everywhere there is someone with an explosive.