MAKING IT OFFICIAL….Newsweek reports that chief White House speechwriter Michael Gerson (who is moving on to advise Bush on policy) is expected to be replaced by Wall Street Journal editorial-page writer William McGurn. [Insert “And that’s different from what he’s been doing, how?” joke here.]
I’m not aware of any policy expertise that Gerson has–this is completely speculative on my part, but I wonder if he’ll simply be a general advisor or step in to work on faith-based policy in particular, given his background as a theology major at the evangelical Wheaton College. Since the initiative has, up to this point, been just a political outreach tool, this could signal a change in White House policy. Or not.
I will say this for Gerson: During the 1990s, whenever I heard Clinton utter a particularly good turn-of-phrase, I’d think, “Wow, he’s just so good with words.” Over the past few years, when I’ve heard Bush speak eloquently, I’ve thought, “Wow, that’s a well-written speech.”
