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In the next few months, Congress will decide whether to continue supporting Big Bird—or give him the ax. Public broadcasting gets around $400 million annually from the U.S. government, which covers about 15% of local station budgets. (Most shows are funded primarily by producers, viewer donations, private foundations and corporations.) Now the Bush Administration has proposed cutting funding by half.
Those who agree with this decrease say that, with the availability of high-quality cable-TV shows, public TV is unnecessary. Its average nightly audience is 2.1 million—around half of the viewership of pro wrestling. Responds Eric Boehlert, senior fellow at Media Matters, a nonprofit media watchdog group: “PBS is a success story for the government, ranking up there with the national parks. Any cuts would hurt the millions of people who can’t or won’t pay for cable.” Should tax dollars support PBS? Vote at Parade.com.
NEWSMAKERS
JFK: The Inside StoryTed Sorensen, President John F. Kennedy’s closest adviser and famed speechwriter, maintains that JFK was a “moral President, regardless of his private misconduct.” In his memoir, Counselor, to be published this month, Sorensen describes the 10 years he spent as JFK’s confidant and acknowledges—for the first time—the President’s infidelities. Still active in politics, Sorensen, 79, spoke with PARADE about JFK’s legacy and today’s Presidential race.
Do JFK’s personal failings lessen his legacy?
No. Just think about his principal achievements: resolving the Cuban Missile Crisis, the greatest threat to the survival of the world in history, without firing a shot; turning the country’s direction on its treatment of black citizens completely around; launching the first serious effort to explore space; the Peace Corps and so on. None of his achievements is diminished in the slightest by the speculation about his personal life.
How do you think JFK’s personal life managed to escape scrutiny by the press?
He was so discreet in his selection of friends and locale that there wasn’t much information for the press to write about. He was a man who knew how to keep secrets, especially personal secrets, and so was I. Kennedy and the press focused on the economy, foreign policy and governance. The candidates didn’t attack one another on personal issues, and the press in those days didn’t investigate personal issues.
You’ve publicly endorsed Barack Obama and made it clear that you value a candidate’s judgment above all else. So, what kind of experience do you think an effective President needs to have?
Experience that is required to make decisions and answer tough questions under pressure. Kennedy had some of that from the war and from almost four years on the road testing Presidential waters. People say he had no executive experience, but I’ll tell you that running a national campaign takes executive experience. It has a lot of similarities to running the country in terms of the kinds of people you have to win over and the ones you have to negotiate with, the kinds of people you have to stare down or run over.
Has the relationship between Presidents and speechwriters changed since you held that job?
Recent White Houses have had speechwriting departments of six to nine people, some of whom had met the President and some who barely knew him. It is very different from my first few years with JFK. I went to every state with him. Not only did I help him with speeches but with the politics, press relations, and hotel and plane reservations. That forges a personal bond between the candidate and the writer.
Is there a line or two from a JFK speech that deserves attention today?
At the 100th anniversary for the University of Washington, the President said something to the effect that “the United States is only 6% of the world’s population, and we have no right to impose our views or even system of government on the other 94%.”
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