Barack Obama Is The Most Famous Living

During My Years As A Press Secretary, I Developed A Powerful Internal Filter, Which Worked To Strip All Things 'off Message' From My Thoughts Before They Came Out Of My Mouth. It Didn't Always Work, Of Course, And I Said More Than A Few Things I Regretted.

When I Became White House Press Secretary, There Were Other Limitations That Were Thrust Upon Me. Bill Clinton Was Under Pressure To Appoint Women To Visible Positions. I Was 31, I'd Never Worked In Washington. Was I Ready For This Large And Visible Job? Still He Wanted The Credit. So He Gave Me The Job But Diminished The Job.

I Think How Pay Gets Determined Is Pretty Broad - Experience, How People Look, What They Bring To The Job. But There's No Question Women Are Paid Less. Women Don't Ask.

Bill Clinton Sitting On Air Force One Getting His Hair Cut While People Around The Country Cooled Their Heels And Waited For Him, Became A Metaphor For A Populist President Who Had Gotten Drunk With The Perks Of His Own Power And Was Sort Of, You Know, Not Sensitive To What People Wanted.

While Eschewing Emotion - And Its Companion, Vulnerability - Obama Should Be Careful Not To Sacrifice Empathy, The 'i Feel Your Pain' Connection That Sustained Clinton. This Connection Is The Shorthand People Use To Measure Their Leaders' Intentions. If People Believe You're On Their Side, They Will Trust Your Decisions.