Opinion

Work on Capitol Hill? Enjoy free access.

The Rose Garden: Bush-Era Issues Trump Obama Spin

By Keith Koffler
Roll Call Staff
April 27, 2009, Midnight

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs can be a masterful performer on the podium, redefining tough questions into ones he likes better, responding to others at length in his Alabama cadence — without necessarily providing an actual answer — while on other occasions parsing out some nuggets of valuable information. And the Obama communications team has already absorbed the successful strategy — originally perfected by President Ronald Reagan — of spoon-feeding a daily message to the clamoring press.

Ordinary People of the Union

Slideshow |

February 9, 2012

Rep. Michele Bachmann, who recently suspended her campaign for the presidency, speaks at the 2012 Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9.

See More Multimedia

Email Newsletter Sign-Up

Breaking News Alerts
Morning and Afternoon Headlines
Heard on the Hill Updates

Follow Roll Call:

30 Hill Aides to Know

The clear expectation is Congress will get very little done this election year. But what does get accomplished, at least in the high-profile areas, will largely be the handiwork of an elite group of staffers — who combine policy expertise, political acumen and the trust of their lawmaker bosses to drive much of the legislative agenda.