AP promoted me to the White House beat because I knew Clinton, his family, friends, and staff better than anybody in the national press corps. Those contacts helped me break a few stories and get my career in Washington jump-started. – Ron Fournier
For a man who has compared himself to Theodore Roosevelt and the nations challenges to those of the Gilded Age, Obama put forward a tepid agenda. – Ron Fournier
Obama is capable – as evidenced by his first-term success with health care reform. But mandate-building requires humility, a trait not easily associated with him. – Ron Fournier
Say what you want to say about the rest of his presidency, including his tone-deaf response to Katrina and a war waged in Iraq on false pretenses, Bush connected with Americans in the aftermath of 9/11 because he looked as frail and unforgiving as we felt. – Ron Fournier