The Public Record
David Gergen was an American political commentator and advisor who served in the administrations of four U.S. presidents, providing insights and guidance on various political matters. Born on May 9, 1942, in Massachusetts, Gergen held significant roles in both Republican and Democratic administrations, showcasing his ability to navigate the political landscape across party lines. He was also a professor of public service at Harvard University, where he influenced a new generation of leaders. In addition to his academic work, Gergen was a senior political analyst for CNN, contributing to public discourse on current events until his passing on July 10, 2025.
I believe that this president ought to be looking at a serious new plan, which says: Look, I can't bring prices down in the -- in the -- in the near term, but I sure as heck am not going to be willing to stand here and do nothing in the…
They have had an energy bill, you know, but it hasn't -- it wasn't a really serious energy bill. It wasn't a forward-looking energy bill.
But, you know, what we're facing, you know, this squeeze on Iran, because, as -- as -- as President Bush really pushes now hard on trying to get Iran to behave, Iran does hold the oil card.
Seventy-one percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the direction of the country.
It's rare that they do dig themselves out. We ought to understand that, once you get down this far, as Jimmy Carter learned, as -- as -- as George H.W. Bush learned, when he started crashing, and he couldn't -- he couldn't reverse it, it's…
There were a lot of us who believed that, argued that. And we were -- you know, we were cavalierly dismissed: Oh, that's a stupid idea.
Let's just go -- let's stay with the team. Let's go to our conservative base. Let's stay the course in Iraq.
It's much tougher to climb out now than it would have been six months -- had he done these changes, started changing things six months ago.
I do think that Bolten will bring a much more sort of a -- he's going to bring a freshness to that.
Well, Anderson, I think these are important changes, in the sense it's going to make the White House more efficient.
Well, in two ways. One, the job he had on the domestic side was not as major formulator of policy.
If they had done this back in the fall, this would have been a lot more effective.
I just can't believe he will do it. So, I'm astonished by what they're saying.
I cannot remember a time when so many generals at high levels during a war have come out against the defense secretary.
I find the story that has emerged from the White House today absolutely extraordinary, even bizarre.
There's a drip, drip, drip that's occurred, that's worn away his -- his credibility for much of the public.
It's going to be harder to argue to the United States public and to the world at large that the intelligence we have in Iran makes them even more threatening than Iraq, and, therefore, we have to do very vigorous, daring things, and -- and…
Iraq is a very, very, very strong issue for the Democrats. And to the extent that they argue, hey, look, the president has said he's against all this classification.
It's now clear we know less about the full story on this -- on this whole leak deal than we did -- than we thought we did.
A significant political problem. I think it's important today that, in a testy exchange with reporters, the White House press secretary did not deny that the president may have authorized this.
Politicians like David Gergen
