After Daily News publisher and opinion columnist Mort Zuckerman said on Fox News that he had “helped write one of [President Obama’s] speeches,” actual White House speechwriters reacted with puzzlement. Neither Jon Favreau nor Ben Rhodes, who have “been closely involved in every speech the President has given since 2005,” had “ever met or spoken to Mort Zuckerman,” Politico reported. For anyone else, that would be awkward. But not for media mogul Mort! “Over the years I have been asked by various public officials, including those in Washington, for my perspectives and views on numerous issues. These conversations have always been considered confidential,” Mort “clarifies” in a blog post on usnews.com today. “My point in noting during a recent television interview that I had once ‘helped’ contribute to one of Barack Obama’s campaign speeches was to reflect the fact that my recent criticisms of the president came from someone who had been supportive of him, who had voted for him, and whose newspaper endorsed him.” So … it must have been one of Obama’s very famous “nonsensical and unclear” speeches, then?
Mort Zuckerman Clarifies Obama Speechwriting Comment [US News]
