RIP Theodore Sorensen 1928-2010

Posted by | October 31, 2010 17:12 | Filed under: Top Stories


They called it “Camelot,” an era that held such promise and inspiration. That era, the presidency of John F. Kennedy, was defined by the word of Ted Sorensen.

Considered by many to be the premier presidential speechwriter of his lifetime — some thought him the best ever — Mr. Sorensen played significant roles in crafting JFK’s enduring speeches, including his 1961 inaugural address, and the president’s book “Profiles in Courage,” which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1957.

So co-mingled were Sorensen and Kennedy, it was difficult to know which of them generated key ideas and writings. Sorensen addressed this in his memoir, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History, when he told of so often being asked who it was that wrote, “Ask not what your president can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Said Sorensen: “Having no satisfactory answer, I long ago started answering the oft-repeated question as to its authorship with the smiling retort: ‘Ask not’.”

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Copyright 2010 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

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