Larry Speakes: In Memoriam

Former White House Press Secretary Larry Speakes passed away Friday in Mississippi after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.  Larry suddenly became President Ronald Reagan's acting press secretary when the president and then Press Secretary Jim Brady were shot in an assassination attempt in Washington.  

Larry ran an excellent press operation and populated it with many amazing people.  Although there could be tension between the press and the White House, relationships were professional, and generally friendly and cordial.  

Larry had a wicked sense of humor.  He was particularly funny when sharing stories about President Reagan with those closest to him.  He once recounted to me an incident that took place during an important cabinet meeting at the White House.  As Larry sat at the back of the room behind the president, he suddenly heard a beeping noise.  He then noticed that several people reacted to the beep by checking their pagers.  He then scanned the room for the source of the beeping, and soon came upon the answer.  He leaned over and tapped President Reagan on his shoulder and whispered in his good ear, "Mr. President, your hearing aide battery is dead."

Reagan spent weeks every summer at his ranch, Rancho del Cielo, in the hills above Santa Barbara.  The press operation and media worked out of the Sheraton Santa Barbara, about 30 miles from Reagan's ranch.  Given the time difference between New York and California, most of the news briefings took place by early afternoon so deadlines would be kept.

One day Larry asked me to join him, CBS News reporter Gary Schuster, and Deputy Press Secretary Rusty Brashear, for a trip to a Dodger game in Los Angeles as guests of manager Tommy Lasorda.  We arrived at Dodger Stadium late in the afternoon, just before batting practice and were escorted to the Dodgers' locker room.   Larry said, "Get ready for a full Lasorda."  I would soon know what he meant.  

We were led to Lasorda's office where we found him sitting at a plain office desk in his boxer shorts, a Dodger tee shirt and hat. "How you f...ing guys doing!" Tommy said as he jumped out of his chair.  "It's great to see you f...king guys!  You f...king guys want lunch?  Hey someone order these f...king guys some Chinese food!"  In the background I heard, "Okay skip."  Rick Monday, a former Cub and Dodger great, popped his head in to touch base with Lasorda before he headed up to the radio booth to do color commentary.

Then a rookie stuck his head in and asked if he could make a call.  We noticed there was an old rotary dial phone on Lasorda's desk, and he claimed it was the only phone in the locker room (there certainly were no smart phones in those days).   Tommy yelled at the kid to come back a little later.

He then told us about the time the kid had used the phone without asking, against clubhouse rules.  He told one of the coaches to send the kid into the men's room, where Lasorda was in a stall on the toilet.  "The kid comes in and meekly says, 'You want to see me coach?'"  Lasorda yells, "When I say I want to see you, I want to see you!  Open the door and get in here!"  The kid walks into the stall and looks terrified as his manager chews him out while sitting on the toilet.  After the punch line Lasorda said, "What a stupid f...king kid!"

After a big laugh, Lasorda put his pants on and took us for a tour.  Behind the home dugout and under the stands, there was a practice-batting cage surrounded by mesh nets.  As we approached we could hear someone hitting the ball.  Steve Sax was a pretty good player whose mediocre hitting kept him from being a super star.  

Lasorda loudly introduced us and asked, "Hey Saxie, did you ever find out who put that pig's head in your bed in Philly?"  "No, skip," Sax answered.  As we walked away from the batting cage, Tommy said, "That kid is really stupid.  When were in Philadelphia, I had my brother, who owns a restaurant there, arrange to place a pig's head on Sax's pillow with a note that read, 'You better start hitting or your dead'!"  It was a scene out of the Godfather, yet Tommy loved that Sax couldn't figure out who did it.

We walked onto the field, where Tommy verbally harassed one of his players, "You hit like shit!"  The infield was in terrific shape, and the view from home plate to the outfield was breathtaking.  We then returned to the dugout, where Tommy got into his uniform, more food arrived for us--Italian.  Larry was smiling as he led our group to our terrific seats.  The game was close to the end, but the Dodgers lost by a run.  

We didn't know what to expect when we joined Tommy, his wife and a few of their friends at the stadium club.  His spirits quickly picked up as he stared telling baseball stories.  I collected a book he had written and asked him to sign it.  He inscribed, "Hey Joe, you and the Dodgers are great.  Go Dodger blue.  Tommy Lasorda."  It seemed a totally genuine, even when I later realized  that everyone got the exact same personalized inscription.  Larry, thanks for the full Lasorda!

In June, 1982, I was the CBS News producer on President Reagan's trip to the Economic Summit in Versailles, France.  Larry Speakes and his team, including top assistant Mark Weinberg,  oversaw the American press corps.   CBS News had established a temporary editing operation run by a special events producer, Peter Sturtevant, who was in charge of all CBS News coverage from the Summit.

During the middle of the Summit, Israel invaded Lebanon in retaliation for ongoing terrorist attacks.  Their operation was being spearheaded by General Ariel Sharon.   The invasion was a surprise, and CBS News urgently needed to send producers to Lebanon.  The foreign desk called me and said since I was in France, I could get to Lebanon more quickly. 

I was surprised, and expressed concern because I had planned and already paid for a romantic French vacation with Susan Zirinsky that was schedule to begin in three days.  "No problem, we'll get you back in time," the editor responded confidently.  I said, "You can't get me from Versailles to a war zone in Beirut and back in three days."  "Don't worry about that," said the editor, "you need to go."  

I expressed my frustration to Mark Weinberg, who mentioned it to Larry.  But Larry knew exactly what to do.  He had Mark call Sturtevant and say that it would be a mistake to send me to Beirut.  If I were to go, CBS News might not get the latest information from the White House.    The next thing I knew, Sturtevant called me and said I did not have to go to Beirut.  Larry and I laughed when I went to thank him.

Coda: Susan joined me three days later in Paris, and we then traveled to the south of France, where we spent a glorious week.  On the last night I was awakened at 4 am by a phone call.  I vaguely said "Hello" and, in response, two CBS News executives said, "Guess who's going to Beirut?  Your plane for Tel Aviv leaves from Nice at 10am."  I spent a month in Beirut covering the ongoing war.

Larry respected the boundaries between the White House and the press.  For sure, the relationship could get very intense at times.  But I found that he was personally very open to those with whom he felt most comfortable.  More importantly, he was fiercely loyal to the president, and worked tirelessly in service of his country.  Larry was a true professional, and also a wonderful friend.  

NOTE:  Mark Weinberg advises the following:

The family has designated two charities for donations in Larry's  memory:

Sunny Seniors

107 South Victoria Avenue

Cleveland, Mississippi 38732

Alzheimer's Association of America

322 Eighth Avenue  7th floor

New York NY 10001

Christie-gate

Governor Chris Christie appeared humbled in his news conference Thursday as he apologized to the people of Ft. Lee New Jersey for the disruptive lane closures on the George Washington Bridge last fall.  He also said that he had "no knowledge or involvement" in the closures.  While he spoke with reporters for 107 minutes, the incident brings into focus many serious questions about the governor and his administrative team.  

Governor Christie was uncharacteristically contrite, regretful, ashamed, and even sad for the actions taken by of key members of his team.  "I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here," Mr. Christie said.   He announced he had terminated his Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly because "she lied to me" when he says he asked her several weeks ago whether she had any knowledge of the closures.   

The governor also announced that he had ended his support for the appointment of his campaign manager, Bill Stepien, as state Republican chairman.  Mr. Christie was reelected in a landslide last November.  The governor also announced that he had severed political ties with Stepien.  "I would not place him at the head of my political operation because of the lack of judgment that was shown in the emails," he said.

The news conference was prompted by email disclosures in the Record, a northern New Jersey newspaper also know as the Bergen Record.   Ms. Kelly sent an email last August to a Port Authority executive saying, "Time for some traffic problems in Ft. Lee."  The executive, David Wildstein, a childhood friend of the governor's, responded, "Got it."  Following the lane closures the Port Authority explained it was part of a last minute traffic study.  Later Wildstein admitted ordering the closures, and resigned his post.  On Thursday, he appeared before a panel of state legislators and repeatedly invoked his constitutional right not to say anything that might incriminate him.  

Speculation grew following the incident that it was in retaliation against Ft. Lee's Democratic mayor, who had not endorsed Mr. Christie's reelection.  The mayor, Mark Sokolich, was also the subject of some emails.  Bill Stepien, who was deputy chief of staff for intergovernmental affairs, reassured Wildstein at the time, writing, "It's fine.  The mayor's and idiot."  Stepien worked with local officials throughout the state to arrange town meetings.  At Thursday's news conference, the governor, who was Stepien's mentor, said, "reading that it made me lose my confidence in Bill's judgment, and you cannot have someone at the top of your political operation that you don't have confidence in." 

But is Governor Christie telling the truth about his lack of knowledge and involvement in the lane closures?  If any evidence to the contrary surfaces his presidential aspirations will be badly damaged.  The people who are so far known to have been involved are all very close to the governor, and in constant contact with him.  How could it be they never mentioned anything or "lied" to him?   Wildstein answered Kelly's email requesting traffic problems in Ft. Lee tersely, as if it had been a prearranged scheme.  Who was behind the lane closures?  Did she have the authority?

This was a terrible disruption that took place over several days and created mayhem for thousands of New Jersey commuters who were going to work or school.  Why didn't the governor, who says his first priority is serving New Jersey, immediately step in to deal with the problem?

Mr. Christie once served as United States Attorney for New Jersey.  He was an aggressive prosecutor, especially against corrupt public officials, and garnered a record of 130 convictions versus zero acquittals.  Yet, Christie did not individually question his aides about the closures.  Instead, he said he addressed his aides four weeks ago, "I put to all of them one simple challenge: if there is any information that you know about the decision to close the lanes in Fort Lee, you have one hour to tell either my chief of staff, Kevin O'Dowd, or my chief counsel, Charlie McKenna."  What happened to the aggressive prosecutor?  

The governor has nominated Kevin O'Dowd to be the state's new attorney general.  He is scheduled to appear before the state's Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.  What was his role in the lane closures?  Since Bridget Anne Kelly reported directly to him, did she ever discuss the matter with him?  Will he answer relevant questions in Tuesday's hearing or provide emails?  

Did the governor receive emails at any point, or have any conversations on the lane closures beyond what he specified in his news conference.  The governor was asked by a reporter Thursday, "If you were to get a subpoena, for whatever reason, what would you do?"  Governor Christie responded, "I am not going to speculate on that."  What does that mean?

The governor has been characterized by his opponents as a politically ambitious, a micromanager, and a bully prone to retribution.  "I am not a bully," he said Thursday.  "Politics ain't bean bag," he continued,  "And everybody in the country who engages in politics knows that."  He admitted to having very heated arguments because, "I feel passionately about issues.  And I don't hide my emotions from people.  I am not a focus-group tested, blow-dried candidate or governor."  

Along with a legislative inquiry and the U.S. Attorney's investigation, Mr. Christie is facing a class-action suit filed by workers who claim the closures made them late for work and resulted in lost wages.   Even if there are no further disclosers implicating the governor, and everything he said Thursday holds up, and that's a big if, Governor Christie has a long and difficult road ahead of him.    

Republican Deaf Ears

Much of the country kicked off the New Year with heavy snowstorms followed by a blast of frigid cold temperatures.   But for 1.3 million Americans, whose unemployment checks have been cut off, this may be the coldest winter of all.

Congress returns on Monday, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he will schedule a vote on extending unemployment benefits.  But the outcome is uncertain.  Many Republicans in both houses of Congress are opposed to extending benefits; especially those in the GOP controlled House of Representatives.   One administration official predicted Wednesday that failure to extend emergency unemployment insurance through 2014 will have a negative impact on 14 million Americans.   It will also have an adverse effect on the nation's slowly recovering economy because those affected will not be able to buy food and supplies.

Republicans, led by their Tea Party wing, have staked out a series of positions that, when viewed on whole, may leave them vulnerable in future elections.  The president has proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10, which one recent study says will lift 5 million people out of poverty.  Republicans argue against such a move because they believe it is inflationary and it will end up costing jobs.

Congressional Republicans are also sparring with Democrats over their desire to reign in food stamps, citing cost, fraud and abuse.  But a recent statistical report released by the Department of Agriculture shows that the amount of food stamps given out in error is at an all time low, about 3%.  In 2000 the error rate was nearly 9%.

On Tuesday, a federal judge struck down a Florida law that required welfare applicants to undergo mandatory drug testing.  Republican Governor Rick Scott campaigned on the issue, and got the law enacted, arguing that it would ensure tax money was not going to illegal drugs.  A subsequent state study found that only 108 out of 4,086 people tested, 2.6%, were using narcotics.  The state records show that the program was costing more than it was saving.  Yet several other Republican dominated states have enacted a similar law, and Governor Scott has said the state will appeal the ruling.

The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, has been under attack from Republicans since it before it became law.  House Republicans have voted nearly 50 times to repeal the law.  The ACA, which got off to a terrible start due to problems with the federal website, provides many benefits.  It requires insurers to cover people with preexisting conditions, it ends lifetime or yearly caps on coverage, it makes it illegal for insurers to drop someone because they get sick, and it extends coverage to children under 26.   Most importantly, it gives 40 million uninsured Americans access to health care coverage, and it has already reduced the soaring growth of health care costs.  Yet Republicans do not have a plan to replace any of these benefits should their repeal efforts actually become successful.

Conservative Republicans are opposed to meaningful immigration reform.   There are now more than 11 million immigrants living illegally in the United States.  Hispanics and other minorities, who largely vote for Democrats, have been pushing for legislation to no avail.  Meanwhile, many Republican controlled states have enacted tough voter identification laws, citing massive voter fraud.   But the reported incidents of voter fraud in these states are actually minuscule.  Yet these laws fall disproportionately hard on minorities and the elderly, groups that vote for Democrats.

Following President Barack Obama's reelection and important Republican Congressional loses in the 2012 national elections, GOP Chairman Reince Priebus released an autopsy report assessing the reasons for the party's poor performance.  The findings were blunt.  At one point the report says the voters believe that "the GOP does not care about them and is doing great harm."  

It appears that the report has fallen on deaf ears.

 

Cleo and Cassie's Christmas Story

This is Cleo, an eight-year-old maltese that has been a key member of our family since 2005.  She is generally quiet, shy and docile.  She derives great pleasure from eating, she is a bit overweight, and having her backside scratched.  

Cleo is a warrior.  This past September doctors discovered a "stage three" mast cell tumor on her back, near her tail.  The news shook our household, and an operation was quickly scheduled.  Two doctors worked for three hours to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue.  Cleo has been on chemotherapy since, and all of her subsequent check ups have shown no recurrence of the cancer.

So mild mannered Cleo was excited when we decided to take her to Colorado for her annual Christmas vacation.  The second she sees her white travel case her heartbeat quickens as she crawls into it with great enthusiasm.  

The airport routine was the same as it has been for eight years.  Just before we board the plane, I take Cleo into the men's room and drop a wee-wee pad on the floor of a stall.  Cleo gets out of her case and relieves herself.  She then hops back into the bag.

On the airplane, Cleo rests on the floor in her case for the five-hour flight.  She doesn't make a sound.  Occasionally, she repositions herself in the bag, allowing her head to pop out of the opening.  When we arrive in Denver, I carry her to the nearest men's room, place a pad on the floor of a stall, and watch her relieve herself.  She then jumps back into the case.  

We always stay at the same hotel in Ft. Collins.  Cleo knows it so well that she frequently leads our family through the automatic doors, up the hall and onto the elevator.  Many of the staff members have come to know Cleo and welcome her with scratches on her back.  Cleo feels at home.  Neither snow nor cold bothers her, although she does not like walking on the salt.  

Because her white hair blends in with the snow, we wrap her in a dark coat so we don't lose sight of her.  It also keeps her warm.  But she often sits inside my brother's house, and tends to hang out near the Christmas tree.  When the family gathers to open gifts, Cleo watches with great interest.  

Cleo is a wonderful traveler, which is more than can be said for her younger sister Cassie.  Cassie is an eighteen-month-old pomeranian.  She is endlessly curious, totally self-assured, and a whirling dervish of energy, therefore, not able to travel on an airplane.   At first, the two dogs were like fire and water: two totally opposite temperaments.  It appeared that they would never get along with each other.  But, over time, they have become very close.

Cassie stayed with a friend while we were away.  But when we returned to our New York City home, she was excited to see us.  But she was even more excited to be with her sister, Cleo, and, no doubt, the two spent time exchanging stories of their Christmas adventures!  

Thank You Mike Bloomberg

There is no better place in the world to celebrate the holiday season than New York City.  The stores along Madison and Fifth Avenues are stuffed with shoppers, perhaps lured in by the beautifully decorated windows or early sales.  From Brooklyn to Queens, or from Staten Island to The Bronx, New York City is a colorful, diverse, vibrant and energetic metropolis.

But New Yorkers face an uncertain future.  With the New Year comes a new mayor, the first new mayor in more than a decade.  And this new mayor, Bill de Blasio, has many promises to keep and many supporters to take care of.  New York City is a huge, complex, and impatient metropolis filled with larger than life personalities, big egos, powerful interest groups with competing agendas, and the pulsating beat of an unrelenting 27/7 news cycle.  

After a dozen years in office, polls show that New Yorkers are tired of their current mayor, Michael Bloomberg.  A majority of those who voted in this year's mayoral election want a more progressive agenda, and someone who will focus on closing the huge income disparity between the city's rich and poor.  They want universal pre-K and expanded after school programs, and an end to abusive police tactics.  And many want the freedom to drink big sugary sodas and smoke--initiatives that have earned Bloomberg the nickname Nanny Mike.  

But the fact is that New York has been an extremely well-run city for more than a decade due to Bloomberg's considerable management skills.  And, while there is room for criticism, Bloomberg has done an enormous amount of good for the city while taking home only $1 in salary each year. 

For instance, according to current projections, New York City will have a $2.4 billion budget surplus for fiscal 2014, and a $1.9 billion budget surplus for fiscal 2015.  However, these projections will be affected by upcoming labor negotiations. 

The city population has increased by 300,000 since 2001, and New York now has 3 million immigrants living in its boroughs.  More than 54 million tourists came to the city in 2013, that's up 54% since 2001.  And it is no wonder, as the city's crime rate is down 35% in that same period, while murders have declined significantly as well.  New York is a safe place to visit and live.

Since Bloomberg first took office there has been a 23% decline in infant mortality, and the average life expectancy of a New Yorker is up 3 years, to 80.9.  That may be partially due to the mayor's crackdown on smoking in restaurants and other public areas.  For instance, there has been a 50% decline in teen smoking since 2002, and today only 14% of the city population smokes. 

New York is now a healthier city.  Bloomberg has put in 450 miles of bike lanes, and he has partnered with CitiBank to make bikes easily available throughout the city.  In fact, there will be about 5.5 million CitiBike trips in 2013.  The mayor has also expanded city parkland by 2% since he took office, and 800,000 have been planted in the past five years.  

The mayor won control of the city's public schools early in his mayoralty.  While there are still complex issues with the city's education system, including the expansion of charter schools, New York's four-year graduation rate is nearly 65%, up from about 50% in 2001.  Meanwhile, the city's welfare roles have been reduced by nearly a quarter since Bloomberg first took office.  

The mayor has encouraged investment, corporate development and new businesses.  Being a successful entrepreneur himself, he has created an atmosphere that has attracted many start-ups and new enterprises.  New York is a great place for the next generation.  

New York is a far better place today than it was when Michael Bloomberg first took office.  Some of the changes he has made have drawn, well, the Bronx cheer from many citizens.  Earlier this week, I asked the mayor what he thought of the criticism he has received.  He was accepting, "Change is hard, and people don't like it." 

Come January 1, New Yorkers will face a big change when the 6'5" de Blasio takes over from the 5'7" Bloomberg.  De Blasio will move quickly to raise taxes on the rich to pay for his education initiatives.  Unions will demand a quick resolution from him on pending contract and pension issues that will be costly.  His new police commissioner will take over and bring new community based tactics to keep the streets safe.  And these new challenges are just the tip of the iceberg.

Meanwhile, Michael Bloomberg leaves behind a stronger city and a powerful legacy.   

White House Press Access

Limited press access to the President and White House events is an important issue that goes right to the heart of America's democratic principles.  President Barack Obama's White House is not the first administration to try to limit press access, but they have been more restrictive than most of their predecessors.

Last month, the White House Correspondents' Association and dozens of news organizations sent White House Press Secretary Jay Carney a letter protesting the limited access.  "Journalists are routinely being denied the right to photograph or videotape the President while he is performing his official duties," the WHCA wrote.  "As surely as if they were placing a hand over a journalist’s camera lens, officials in this administration are blocking the public from having an independent view of important functions of the Executive Branch of government."

Instead, the White House has routinely given Pete Souza, the official White House photographer, sole access to the President, then distributed his pictures on the Internet and social media.  In its letter, the WHCA said, "You are, in effect, replacing independent photojournalism with visual press releases."  The White House is bypassing the press corps to give the public an unfiltered view of newsworthy events, often deemed "private," provided by one of its own paid employees.

Frustration boiled up at Thursday's White House press briefing as reporters demanded more access.  Carney, a former reporter, seemed to struggle with his answers, explaining that the problem was the Internet.  “In the past when White House photos were developed and handed out here, news organizations could decide whether their readers would ever see those photos. Now, the White House posts some pictures on the Internet identified as official White House photographs."  

But Carney's explanation misses the point.  This is not a distribution problem; rather, this is an access problem.  And President Obama campaigned on the principles of transparency and openness.   It is critical for journalists to cover and report newsworthy events in order to provide the public with an independent account.  Previous presidents frequently allowed a small pool of reporters and photographers to cover a portion their meetings and events. That practice should be the rule today, not the exception.  

The White House press is right to complain about its limited access to this President.  The practices that are used today by the White House press office will become a precedent for the presidents who follow.   This is such an important issue that news organizations should avoid using White House photos of events that they are barred from covering. 

NBC News' Chuck Todd observed Friday, “Look we’re at fault here because we put (the White House photos) up.” He said, “We basically give out these visual press releases and that’s what they are. And we don’t fight this enough.”  David Gregory, a former White House correspondent and now anchor of NBC's Meet the Press, complained that President George W. Bush often restricted photo-ops only to photojournalists.  This is because he feared being asked questions by reporters in these brief encounters.  But these photo-ops are often the only time a reporter can ask a president an important and newsworthy question.  

According to political scientist Martha Joynt Kumar, of Towson University, President Obama has had significantly fewer brief question-and-answer sessions in the White House than the last two presidents.  This is a disturbing trend.  Other presidents have realized that, like them or not, it is important to have a good relationship with the White House press corps.  

There was no better example than that set by President Ronald Reagan, who spoke of the ongoing friction with the White House press.  He once said,  "Every President will try to use the press to his best advantage and to avoid those situations that aren't to his advantage.  To do so results in a diminution of his leadership powers.  The press is not a weak sister that needs bracing.  It has more freedom, more influence, than ever in history.  The press can take care of itself quite nicely.  And a president should be able to take care of himself as well."  

In May 2010, President Obama signed legislation that promotes free press around the world, and discourages government control.   Mr. Obama, actions speak louder than words.

Promises, Obama Promises

President Barack Obama may be a rare exception for a politician because he has actually kept most of his campaign promises. And he has done so in spite of the most partisan and dishonest opposition tactics an American president has ever faced.

The president announced this past weekend that the U.S. and its allies had reached a short-term agreement with Iran on its nuclear enrichment program, opponents flew into a furor, even before they had specific details.  Some Republican members of Congress even accused the president of manufacturing the agreement as a diversion from his problems with the Obamacare rollout.

Understandably, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the agreement a "Historic mistake," and said, "The world became a more dangerous place."  Saudi Arabia at first expressed concern, but later reversed itself saying, "The government of the kingdom sees that if there was goodwill, this agreement could represent a preliminary step towards a comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear program."

The president addressed the controversy in San Francisco Monday, saying the United States "cannot close the door on diplomacy."  Of his critics, he said, "Tough talk and bluster may be the easy thing to do politically, but it's not the right thing for our security."

The president first signaled his intention to pursue diplomacy with Iran during the 2008 Presidential Campaign when he said he would be willing to meet with America's enemies without preconditions.  At the time he was considered naive, and even radical.  Also in 2008, President Obama promised he would end the war in Iraq, wind down war in Afghanistan, and he would bring terrorist Osama bin Laden to justice.  He has delivered on all those promises.

This agreement gives Iran a six month window in which to reach an agreement that would ban it from building a nuclear weapon.  Iran was brought to the table by crippling sanctions that have cratered its economy.  Under the agreement, most of those sanctions remain in place, and can be instantly ramped up should Iran be found in violation during the next six months.

The point is that, for very little cost, the United States has opened a peaceful path to a verifiable and enduring nuclear agreement with Iran that would make the world safer.  It has also given Iran's new more "moderate" leadership something with which to strengthen its tenuous grip on power.  Realistically, reaching a long-term agreement will be a huge challenge for all sides.   But, for now, the president has done all he can to keep the U.S. out of another war. 

The president could use some good news given the shaky rollout of Obamacare.  He had promised in 2008 to make affordable health care available to all Americans, including the 40 million citizens who do not have coverage.  He and his allies had fought hard against long odds to make the ACA the law of the land.  Republicans have done all they can to defund or repeal the law, to no avail, even though they have no replacement to offer Americans. 

But now, in spite of a failed website, the Affordable Care Act is beginning to gain traction.  In fact, in California, where the state runs its own program, enrollment results are ahead of projections.  California is a test case that proves Obamacare can work if states are willing to give it a fair shot.  Most states that have Republican governors have opted out, but they are likely to opt in once the program gains momentum.

The president was elected twice by the American people.  Of President Obama, Shakespeare might have said, "He was ever precise in promise-making."   But the reality is, as the old saying goes, "A politician is known by the promises he keeps."