The Salesman
Experienced, emotional, marked by personal tragedy and political setback, Joe Biden is in many ways the antithesis of the president he serves. But his stock has risen steadily in the West Wing, and with the Democrats poised to lose much of their leverage in the midterm elections, the vice president’s unique skills and attributes may prove ever more crucial to his administration’s success.
President Barack Obama waves as he leaves Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, after the flight from Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 14, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
As part of the book deal then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., inked in 2004, Random House today announced the publication of a children’s book by the president, “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters.”
The book will be released on November 16 – roughly two weeks after the midterm elections — with a 500,000-copy first printing.
“Of Thee I Sing,” which President Obama finished writing in 2008, describes thirteen “groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation—from the artistry of Georgia O’Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington,” the publisher said in a statement. It is illustrated by Loren Long.
Proceeds from the sale of the book, Random House announced, will be donated to a scholarship fund for the children of fallen and disabled US troops. The book will be published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers and is part of the three-book, $1.9 million deal that then-Sen. Obama reached with Random House through his powerful attorney Bob Barnett.
President Obama likes to keep his professional life separate from his family, but in an interview broadcast Wednesday, he admits that he let his daughters review a piece of his work before it was released. Granted, that work was his new children’s book – “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters” – the cover of which depicts his children, Sasha and Malia, walking their dog, Bo. What did they think of their dad’s short book? “I asked them to read it, see what they thought,” Obama said in an interview with Sirius XM radio. “I think they’re pretty soft on their dad. They figured out I already have enough to worry about. So, not too many rewrites.”
First Lady Michelle Obama delivers an address on her ‘Let’s Move!’ initiative during the 2010 Hispanic Heritage Month events of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washingtion
An unidentified student athlete reacts on seeing President Barack Obama during an event on the South Lawn of the White House with NCAA championship student athletes on Monday, Sept. 13
President Barack Obama greets NCAA Champion Student Athletes on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on September 13
President Barack Obama arrives to make remarks to NCAA Champion Student Athletes on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on September 13
Obama White House.gov WH Tumblr The People’s View Smartypants Steve Benen
