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
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
One side of the American psyche wants smaller government, lower taxes, and more choices for individuals, even if those choices increase risk. The other wants a strong social safety net to protect the weakest among us, even if it costs more to minimize risk. – Ron Fournier
The failure of the White House and Congress to seriously address the nations fiscal situation is certain to broaden the belief among many voters that the U.S. political system is broken. – Ron Fournier
I love Rauschenberg. I love that he created a turning point in visual history, that he redefined the idea of beauty, that he combined painting, sculpture, photography, and everyday life with such gall, and that he was interested in, as he put it, the ability to conceive failure as progress. – Jerry Saltz