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Dubya Speechwriter Quits

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  • 26-02-2002 5:01pm
    #1
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    Speechwriter Frum quits White House

    By JOHN IBBITSON

    From Canada's Globe And Mail

    Tuesday, February 26 – Online Edition, Posted at 1:54 AM EST

    Washington — David Frum, the former Canadian journalist and speechwriter for U.S. President George W. Bush, has left the White House — but not, he said Monday, because of an imbroglio surrounding his authorship of the phrase "axis of evil."

    Mr. Frum, 41, is the son of the late Barbara Frum, the celebrated CBC broadcaster. He was well known as a conservative commentator in both Canada and the United States before he arrived at the White House last year as part of Mr. Bush's speechwriting team.

    He achieved unwelcome prominence this month, however, when the U.S. media got hold of an e-mail that his wife, writer Danielle Crittenden, sent to friends.

    In the note, Ms. Crittenden said her husband was the author of the notorious "axis of evil" phrase, which Mr. Bush used in his State of the Union address to single out Iraq, Iran and North Korea as rogue states whose support for terrorism and nuclear proliferation will not be tolerated.

    "I realize this is very 'Washington' of me to mention this," she wrote, "but my husband is responsible for the 'Axis of Evil' segment. It's not often a phrase one writes gains national notice."

    More than national, as it turned out. The "axis of evil" concept became a subject of debate and criticism around the world. And the speech led even close allies such as Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to warn Mr. Bush against expanding the war on terrorism unless compelling links to the Sept. 11 attacks could be demonstrated.

    Several commentators noted that unwritten White House rules prohibit individual writers from taking credit for lines in presidential speeches and suggested that Mr. Frum might be in trouble with his boss.

    Monday, syndicated columnist Robert Novak speculated on CNN that Mr. Frum's departure from the White House could be linked to Mr. Bush's displeasure at his claiming authorship of the line.

    Not so, Mr. Frum said in an interview Monday night. Mr. Novak, he said, "is completely wrong."

    Mr. Frum said he submitted his resignation as a speechwriter on Jan. 24, four days before the speech was delivered to a joint session of Congress and two weeks before Ms. Crittenden's e-mail surfaced. Monday, as previously agreed, was his final day on the job.

    The White House confirmed that account. "There is no truth to Novak's comments," spokeswoman Marcy Viana said. "David submitted his resignation four weeks ago."

    Mr. Frum confirmed at least partial authorship of the phrase. His version was "axis of hate."

    "I think it was actually the President" who changed "hate" to "evil," he said.

    He also denied any trouble over the publicity surrounding his authorship of the phrase.

    "The reaction of most of my colleagues is that the incident is sort of comical," he said. Mr. Bush, he said, "has been incredibly nice to me."

    Ms. Viana said Mr. Frum "has been a valuable asset to the White House and we appreciate his hard work and wish him well in his future endeavours."

    Mr. Frum said his immediate plans consist of a trip to Mexico, but hinted that he hopes to be writing again soon "under my own name."


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