EMERGENCY MEDICINE NEWS Exclusively for EMNow’s ACEP Scientific Assembly Edition: October 2009 CNN Pundit Regales Scientific Assembly with Tales of Clinton, Bush, and Obama By Lisa Hoffman thought of the book, he said, “It always helps when people misun- f you close your eyes when Paul Begala does his Bill Clinton derestimate me.” Iimpersonation, you might swear the former president was Barack Obama is another story, in the room. It’s an uncanny display that nails the Arkansas however, Mr. Begala said, and even drawl, the deliberate gestures, and the sincere facial expres- those who oppose him don’t deny sions. That characterization was learned at the knee, as it he is brilliant and politically adept. were, after Mr. Begala spent years as a key player in Clinton’s He has learned from others’ past inner circle. mistakes, and “it’s because we Mr. Begala proudly admits he’s a Democrat, and failed in ’93 and ‘94 that he’s likely Mr. Paul Begala although he now makes his living as a CNN political ana- to succeed. He’s put his whole lyst, no one would ever accuse him of representing any- political capital behind health care.” thing less than a liberal perspective. And he was there the Mr. Begala said the most remarkable thing about President first time around when health care reform ultimately went Obama is what he called his American exceptionalism. The down in flames in the early 1990s, its defeat in large part President himself said his story is unimaginable in any other due to his boss’s inflexibility, said Mr. Begala, also an affili- country in the world: His grandfather was goat herder in Kenya. ated professor of public policy at Georgetown University’s Yet as the President took the oath of office, he made no mention Public Policy Institute. of the fact that just off to his left was once a pen that caged the President Clinton said he would veto any health care reform African slaves who built the Capitol building. Two hundred package that didn’t cover every single American, but you won’t years later, an African American was president. “This is not just see President Obama making that mistake, Mr. Begala said. “He Pollyanna,” Mr. Begala said, “but that can only happen in Amer- has drawn no lines in the sand. The bracing experience of hav- ica. That story is unique in its details but universal in its appeal.” ing failed has been meaningful to Democrats,” he told emer- Mr. Begala had his own story of exceptionalism: His grand- gency physicians during the opening session of the Scientific mother came to the United States from Hungary, became a Assembly yesterday in Boston. “There’s a pretty good chance maid, sent her son to college, and saw her grandson acquire a that it passes” this time. law degree and advise the president. After he brought her to And President Obama is just the man for the job, he said. the White House to meet President Clinton, she repeated the “No one misunderestimates Barack Obama,” he said, using a same three words all the way home: “Only in America. Only in mangled word made popular by President George W. Bush. The America.” title of Mr. Begala’s book, Is Our Children Learning? came “Americans are taking a chance on the grandson of a goat straight from the former president’s mouth. “It took me eight herder,” Mr. Begala said. “It’s why I remain so optimistic days to write, and it was sneering and snotty, a total slam job,” because this is the only place on Earth where all of our stories he said with a laugh. When President Bush was asked what he are even imaginable.” .