Crafting A State Of The Union Speech

Mark Knoller Talks With The Writers Behind Bush's Address To The Nation

(CBS)  By CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

---

When President Bush enters the chamber of the House of Representatives tomorrow evening, he’ll be delivering his ninth speech to a Joint Session of Congress, and his seventh and probably final State of the Union Address.

Planning for it began in early December at one of the president’s frequent meetings with his speechwriting team.

“Well, his standard marching order is that you better write a good speech,” says Bill McGurn, chief White House speechwriter.

Actually, it was late spring or early summer that Mr. Bush told his wordsmiths that he wanted to give a speech at some point about his philosophy of governing.

But they never got around to it. So during their planning meetings last month for the State of the Union, they decided to make it part of tomorrow’s address.

“You’ll be hearing about his governing philosophy and how it applies to the different policies that he’s put in place and how it drives his agenda for his final year in office,” says Mark Thiessen, who’ll soon be taking over McGurn’s job as chief speechwriter.

In an interview in their West Wing offices, three of the White House speechwriters offered an insider’s account about their jobs and about writing this year’s State of the Union.

“Your job as a speechwriter is to write the speech the president would have written himself if he had 80 hours to sit in front of a computer,” Thiessen says.

The team had its first outline of the speech in the president’s hands before Christmas. But the usual preparation time this year was interrupted this month by Mr. Bush’s nine-day Mideast trip - where his big speech was delivered in Abu Dhabi. He sounded a call for democracy even as he visited Arab states where democracy is a rare commodity.

“The moment after he did that speech,” McGurn recalls, “he doesn’t come out and say ‘Hey - that was great.’ He says ‘Bill - where’s my State of the Union?'”

From back in Washington, Thiessen and fellow speechwriter Chris Michel finished the first draft and relayed it to Mr. Bush while he was still overseas.

“The day he got back, despite the jet lag and everything else, we were meeting with him first thing in the morning to go over the draft,” says Michel. “Every day, twice a day sometimes, we’ve been meeting and we’ve been calling with ideas and editing.”

When it comes to presidential speeches, the writers regard the commander-in-chief as the editor-in-chief.

“I think the biggest misimpression is that you can just write something and the president will read it and not notice it, not change it, not react violently to it if he disagrees,” says McGurn.

In fact, Thiessen calls President Bush “the toughest editor I think any of us has ever had.”

“He’s strict. He knows what he wants to say. He knows how he wants to say it.”

And though the president often jokes about his shortcomings with the English language, his writers have to master his style and manner of speaking.

“I hear his voice and meter in my head when I’m getting dressed in the morning, when I’m eating my cereal, when I’m having lunch,” says Thiessen. “And in the shower, I hear his voice and meter all the time.”

You’d think that in crafting a speech as important as the State of the Union, the writers would anguish over crafting just the right phrase or sentence that will be remembered for years to come. But McGurn says that’s not the case.

“I think the way to have a phrase stand out is to do your job right, and it’s really history or something will show that it works.”

But the writers will be listening carefully to how their work is received in the House chamber.

“You have your suspicions as to what’s going to work and what’s not. And what’s going to evoke applause and what’ll evoke what kind of reactions,” says Thiessen.

Yet he says not all writers are anxious to see the reaction to their work.

“I know Tony Dolan, who was Ronald Reagan’s chief speechwriter, never went to the State of the Union. He couldn’t bear to watch.”

But Mr. Bush’s team intends to be there.

“Yes, we’ll be there,” says Thiessen. “We’re all courageous enough to go and watch the final address.”

[newz4i]

copy/pasted from article: "Planning for it began in early December at one of the president%u2019s frequent meetings with his speechwriting team."

I''ve always said, the only way President Bush made any sense was when reading from a teleprompter ... and now I know he met with his "speech" team FREQUENTLY.

[christiansin]

I''ve got the beginning of the speach all worked out for him...

"My name''s George, George W. Bush. Momma says, stupid is as stupid does."

[mcvet]

What can he say that the American People would believe???

[watcher269-2009]

Goodbye Cruel World - the company my wife works for has posted a new policy stating that employees should not voice their political affiliations in any government.


This website and list fall under that category and thus she can be terminated for my contributions to these lists - thus I must retire to ensure her job is safe.

Be careful America - when it comes to employers forcing their methods of silencing free speech - America will not be free.

We have no choice - we are not independently wealthy. Thus one more free voice will be silenced to maintain our standard of living.

Beware America - subversion in freedoms by governments are equivalent to terrorist Attacks if they invoke FEAR and Squash the right of any individuals.

Stand for Freedom - Speak you mind!

[rushlimpdrug]

%u201CI think the biggest misimpression is that you can just write something and the president will read it and not notice it, not change it, not react violently to it if he disagrees,%u201D says McGurn.

"react violently to it if he disagrees"? ? ?

It would be nice to know what that means.
These people are just pandering to a loser.
Why they do it is a complete mystery to me.
While they make what he does possible, the country contines to go into a deep downward spiral.

[bm6005]

These are the writers who should be on strike. To put it mildly "Bush would be speachless"!!!

[bm6005]

Goodbye Cruel World - the company my wife works for has posted a new policy stating that employees should not voice their political affiliations in any government.
Posted by watcher269

I got a hard time with this one. How could anything you say be interpreted as your wife saying it? Even tho I hate lawyers almost as much as Booshit, You could probably live off the lawsuit on this one!!

[neobrian-2009]

" It`s been such a great pleasure to watch you people suffer the last seven years. I have tried my very best to help ''corporate USA'' squeeze every cent and every beginning,I saw Rove`s lies were working extremely well.With a little fine-tuning we made sure the oil companies,the mega-buck insurance companies our friends in business would reap record profits as you sat by idly .
Most people know I don`t read or use the internets ,so I made sure I surrounded myself with people that thought like I do.I sold everything to the highest bidder. I almost got my personal attorney on the supreme court but,just the same I had the deck stacked.
My war turned out to the most profitable business encounter of my life. Of course I had failed miserably at previous business deals. I sure made up for it.

I took so much pleasure watching Katrina`s devastation,those people never voted for me,so they got what they deserved.

My friends have became filthy rich,much more than we ever anticipated.A few cents at the pump equals mega-bucks,but,we added dollars.Why just take advantage of working people ? Because I could and I did. I am '' The Decider ''.
When the polls showed me lacking the trust of the American people,I knew I was doing well.
My partner *** called one day,he said " W,I always knew you were untrustworthy and almost illiterate but look what we have accomplished",we laughed all afternoon.

[homespunlady]

Hmmm. Maybe Georgie would like some SUGGESTIONS for what would WORK - HARD WORK - in his speech.

How''s this:

Good Evening Folks.

As your President I''ve Worked HARD, Hard Work to TRASH this nations reputation, economy and self-esteem.

As you can see I''ve SUCCEEDED at SOMETHING so QUIT with your griping that I''''m not working HARD.

Me and my buddies T Blossom, Brownie and Darth have some really GREAT plans for a REALLY BIG BLOWOUT final year HE HE Smirk.

We''re not handing 20 BILLION in WEAPONS to the hometown of MY Buddy Bin Laden for NOTHING you know.

Just to make things MORE interesting we''re also upping a few more Billion to the land of the new and IMPROVED TALLYBAN!

To stir the mix and get even with all you disrespectful gripers about my using the Constitution to wipe my backside I''ve got Presidential Directive 51 so DON''T get smart with me or I''ll declare Martial law and WON''T leave for a couple more DECADES or at least not until my TRILLION DOLLAR CASTLE is finished on the ground predicted in the Bible that the Antichrist would build.

God TALKS WITH me and he''s said I have his permission to Prove Revelations RIGHT.

That''ll teach ya!!

Good (Long Dark) Night!

[excoachken]

The Cowardly Cowboy is the only President who "Crafted the State of The Union Message" with a crayon.

[candide777]

"And though the president often jokes about his shortcomings with the English language, his writers have to master his style and manner of speaking."

***? I thought God himself wrote those speeches! What''s going on here? Why do you need a writer when there''s a little voice inside your head guiding your every thought and move?

[candide777]

When the president talks to God
I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. the ghetto''s broke
No, they''re lazy, George, I say we don''t
Just give ''em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That''s what God recommends!

--Bright Eyes

[taddles-2009]

With this moron a$$-clown trying to craft a State of the Union address is a super-human challenge...hard to find that many single syllable words without repeating yourself every 5 seconds.

[obama1289]

Obama supporters watch the video, talk about tears coming to your eyes:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jPev5sEdTjg

[j-whitman]

It would take a coalition Lewis Carroll & Edgar Rice Burroughs to invent a good State of the Union Speach for Bush ---- The authors of ''Tarza''n & ''Alice in Wonerland''

[j-whitman]

Obama will do great, look at his opposition ----

Romney, Huckajesus, McBush & Rudy the financeer of 9/11

[prinzowhales]

The lying b*stard can just give the same one he gave
in 2003...we know he is full of ca-ca and is willing to fill the ears of anyone stupid enough to listen with it... Achtung! mainstream candidate supporters...members of Congress...mental deficients...Your ''man'' is in the House!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/25/iraq/main560449.shtml

http://www.bushwatch.com/bushlies.htm

[j-whitman]

McCain --- Needs to Shut Up,,,, He''''s complaining about the stste of or VA Hospitals ---- LOL, he''''s been part of the problem ever since he got itno politics,,,,,,,

He wanted more troops but never fought to get them, he''s no different that the Generals who spoke out too late & didn''t fight whe they where needed.

He''s attempting to tell us how he know''s how to catch OBL, yet supported all of Bush''s policies that counldn''t catch him.

He''s tried also to tell us he know''s how to secure the border, being from a border state of Arizona --- Mexico''s Army is conducting maneuvers in Arizona,,,, Locked & Loaded against our Border Patrol

--- Another Do Nothing Flag Waiving Republican ---

[j-whitman]

I wonder how they are going to incorporate 935 of Bush''s Lies into the speech,, or if they will include another 935 new ones ??

[pilgrimsway-2009]

True there is a thing about taking a calculated risk on programs etc. But to buck the trend and say all for change is not an entrepreneur%u2019s way of addressing a need. I do not know if you personally been in companies that adopted this change theory I have. Let me tell you in every case known to me and in online data these companies have ended up ruined!

[rowdytexan2]

6) "You work three jobs? %u2026 Uniquely American, isn''t it? I mean, that is fantastic that you''re doing that." %u2014to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005

Wonder if they''ll put this gem in this year''s state of the union address? :)

[rowdytexan2]

2) "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." %u2014Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

Or this one!!! :)

[sgtrds]

The only thing I want to hear out of this piece of sh*it Motherfu*cker is that he''s resigning and ready for his murder and war crimes trial and taking Fat Bast*ard Cheney with him. Everything he''s ever said has been BS lies and everything he''s ever done has turned to instant sh*it. That as*sole needs to go.

[wogerwabbit]

why can''t we just Baker Act Bush and Cheney?

[pvperson]

And though the president often jokes about his shortcomings with the English language, his writers have to master his style and manner of speaking. ............Must be difficult to dumb yourself down that way.....................................
%u201CI hear his voice and meter in my head when I%u2019m getting dressed in the morning, when I%u2019m eating my cereal, when I%u2019m having lunch,%u201D says Thiessen. %u201CAnd in the shower, I hear his voice and meter all the time.%u201D..........Amazing these guys haven''t committed suicide.

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush II will give what might be (it is greatly hoped!) his last State of the Union Speech on Monday. Considering prior State of the Union speeches given by the Great Emperor, there is very little of interest that is expected, except that pehaps in this speech, he may try to explain what he has been trying to do to the country over the past 7 years! Perhaps he may even ask the audience what his "legacy" should be since he obviously cannot find one!

It is expected that he will once again tell everyone to "stay the course" in everything from Iraq to unemployment. Regarding his supposed "stimulus" package to supposedly combat the current recession (and yes, the Recession IS HERE!), he is expected to take full credit for anything that Congress passes, although most wage earners are more concerned WHEN they will see their "rebate" checks.

Naturally, what the Great Emperor won''t tell them is, like the "rebate" the Great Emperor pushed through in his first term, the Great Emperor expects to get most of that money back when the IRS announces that those "rebates" will all be TAXABLE!!!!

HA! HA! HA!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[nmsuip]

The suspense is killing me. No, wait, let me guess. The state of the union is strong. YaddayaddaBSBSBS..."nukyuler"...BSBSBS...

[b-easy63]

%u201CI think the biggest misimpression is that you can just write something and the president will read it and not notice it, not change it, not react violently to it if he disagrees,%u201D says McGurn.

In fact, Thiessen calls President Bush %u201Cthe toughest editor I think any of us has ever had.%u201D

%u201CHe%u2019s strict. He knows what he wants to say. He knows how he wants to say it.%u201D

Is that so?????

So when the White house said that when Bush repeated the yellowcake info in speeches because the speech writer forgot to take it out--that MUST have been a lie? Because Bush is sooo meticulous that in all those times of rehearsing it--he would have already realized the CIA told him what was in the speech was a lie....Better get better with the lies dude, or you are gonna bust the Presidents alibis. LMAO

[smirk5]

The rich are much richer.
The middle class isn''t keeping up with inflation.
We exploded the deficit and it''ll get way bigger with the coming recession.
We have two quagmires with no light at the end of the tunnel.
The price of gas has more than doubled.
The stock market hasn''t gone pretty much anywhere in 7 years.
Thank you, you''ve all been great.
God Bless the U.S.A.
Now, watch this drive.

[neobrian-2009]

VERY WELL SAID!!!!
%u201CHe%u2019s strict. He knows what he wants to say. He knows how he wants to say it.%u201D

Is that so?????

So when the White house said that when Bush repeated the yellowcake info in speeches because the speech writer forgot to take it out--that MUST have been a lie? Because Bush is sooo meticulous that in all those times of rehearsing it--he would have already realized the CIA told him what was in the speech was a lie....Better get better with the lies dude, or you are gonna bust the Presidents alibis. LMAO

Posted by b-easy63 at 08:13 PM : Jan 27, 2008
=====================================
Lies Create MORE LIES !
Shrub has painted himself into a corner,..by the end of the year,...The ''branches & roots '' of This Evil Shrub will be saving themselves,..They`ll be telling what we Already Know ! KING W is THE BIGGEST CRIMINAL ALIVE on the face of THE WHOLE EARTH !!

[fettkonserv]

Hopefully he will conclude the state of the onion with this sentence.

The Vice President and I shall resign effective at noon tomorrow, and report to Leavenworth to await trial.

[taddles-2009]

Crayola made a killing when this clown was appointed King.

Must be tough pi$$ing away a Yale or Harvard education to be a speech writer for Shrub. Then again after 4 years of "Mastering his style and manner of speaking" these guys will be very well prepared for their next career..."would you like fries with that?"

[gracchus1]

Exactly! Who wants to hear what this FAILURE for a President has to say?

[bluespetal]

What more do we need to hear from this President who doesn''t seem to be able to utter one word of truth? Open a newspaper...that''s the state of the union.

[johnnye6]

"Richard Nixon is a no good, lying ***. He can lie out of both sides of his mouth at the same time, and if he ever caught himself telling the truth, he''d lie just to keep his hand in."
Harry S. Truman


There''s nothing new under the sun.