I will tell you this, that if it plays out too long, I think he really will get more and more hurt.
David Gergen
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.
He has to capture the moment where the nation is, he has to capture the moment of where he is, and then he has to lift our spirits.
Had this gone down -- and last night looked like it could go down in the Senate. He would have started out his presidency in a very weakened position.
To him, the central story of his presidency is that of the threat of terrorism coming in 9/11 and that he protected the homeland over these last seven years.
This was a very significant personal victory today in the Senate for Barack Obama.
It was gracious toward Barack Obama. It had a certain humility to it.
He deserves credit for that and that he's put us on a successful path to beat back terrorism both in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If they vote this down, that will be a blow for -- against Barack Obama on the eve of his inauguration, something that would be, have been unbelievable only a few weeks ago.
It shows the perils of trying to govern before you actually take the oath of office and before you have your team in place.
This reflects fundamentally the failures of the Bush administration in the way they carried out the first half of it.
I think it says it is going to be a very messy process, but I think Obama's likely to prevail.





