Teleprompter-In-Chief Gets A New No-Bid Speechwriter

http://exposethemedia.com/2011/05/04/te ... echwriter/

05/04/2011

As the president reneges on another campaign promise, his move reeks of desperation. Instead of just being himself, he hires more speechwriters at our expense.

Washington Times:

The White House is spending tens of thousands of dollars on a public relations firm headed by Democratic image maker Michael Sheehan – once dubbed by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as an “extraordinary media coach” who helped her master the teleprompter.

Mr. Sheehan’s firm, Sheehan Associates, could receive more than $100,000 under a current contract and has been providing occasional speech and consulting services to the White House since 2009, federal purchasing records show.

Although Mr. Sheehan has a reputation of helping politicians look good speaking in public, neither his firm nor its White House client has anything to say about the contracting arrangement. Sheehan Associates failed to respond to telephone and email inquiries about the hiring arrangement this week and last, as did the White House press office.

That was most likely part of the deal. Shhhhhh.

Spending records show that the company was hired under three contracts since late 2009 and has received a total of $60,000. The records variously describe the company as providing “speech preparation training,” “speech writing services” and “speech coaching services.”

It’s unclear what speeches the firm was assigned, but its hiring marks the second time that the White House has paid for outside public relations help. It approved contract work for up to $100,000 for Jeff Nussbaum, a speechwriting aide to vice-presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden during the 2008 election campaign, The Washington Times reported last year.

At the time, a spokesman for Mr. Biden, Jay Carney, who has since been promoted to White House press secretary, told The Times that Mr. Nussbaum’s hiring was permitted under the sole-source provision of federal contracting rules.

Weeks before taking office, Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden pledged to end abuse of no-bid contracting and require competitive bidding on nearly all contract orders for more than $25,000.

However, Mr. Carney said at the time that Mr. Nussbaum was able to “provide unique services where no other person can fulfill the contract requirements” and the White House needed extra speechwriting help. He said Mr. Nussbaum wrote up to six “important and substantial” speeches each month.
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