The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
[Main archive index/search] [List information] [Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Homepage]
I just sent the following email to Alexander Salita: Dear Lee With regard to your query about who coined the phrase 'axis of evil' I think the following article might help: Yours Peter Brooke http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4363952,00.html * PROUD WIFE TURNS 'AXIS OF EVIL' SPEECH INTO A RESIGNATION LETTER by Matthew Engel in Washington Guardian, 27th February The public had a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the White House yesterday when David Frum, the man said to have invented the phrase "axis of evil", resigned from President George Bush's speechwriting team, causing a debate as to whether he walked out or was pushed. Mr Frum became well known after President Bush used the term in his state of the union address. But his celebrity came about only because his wife, Danielle, emailed friends with "wifely pride" to claim credit for her husband. The message was picked up by the media. This was considered an affront to the discreet and collegiate traditions of the speechwriters' room, whose occupants are accustomed to having their precious words appropriated by the president, rewritten or scrapped, but are expected to remain stoically anonymous. The Frumgate affair erupted when the commentator Robert Novak claimed on CNN that the president was so infuriated by the emails that Mr Frum was fired. This was denied by the White House and Mr Frum, who accused Mr Novak of "making stuff up" and said he had given a month's notice on January 24, while the speech was being written. In her email to friends and family, Mrs Frum wrote: "I realise this is very 'Washington' of me to mention but my husband is responsible for the axis of evil segment in Tuesday's state of the union address. It's not often a phrase one writes gains national notice... so I hope you'll indulge my wifely pride in seeing this one repeated in headlines everywhere!" Presidents have a core team of four or five writers working on their speeches. Like most White House staffers, they rarely last through the length of a presidency, although Mr Bush has only been in office 13 months and Mr Frum is one of the first senior figures to go. "What you get is the excitement of being at the centre," said a team member from a past administration, who asked, in keeping with the tradition, for anonymity. "You're playing with history. But the job really takes it out of you. You break a lot of promises to your kids. "And there are a lot of frustrations. Once a speech is made, it's supposed to be the president's, not yours. "The current team does a lot of collegial writing, and they're very good at it. That takes a strong bond and very special people." Mr Frum intends to return to more conventional writing under his own name. He has already published two critiques of conservative politics and a history of the 1970s. His new-found fame is unlikely to do him any harm with publishers contemplating contracts. > From: "Alexander Salita" <a_salita@hotmail.com> > Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 01:17:22 +0000 > To: casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk > Cc: a_salita@hotmail.com > Subject: [casi] Question > > Good Evening, > > I understand the CASI plays an active role in fostering co-operation and > communication among UK groups opposed to the American policy of pre-emption > in Iraq and lifting the sanctions debilitating the civilian population in > Baghdad. I am a student concerned about the moral use of force in Iraq and > my question regards the "Axis of Evil" speech mentioned in George W. Bush's > speech (In State of the Union - 2002). Can anyone confirm who authored the > actual speech before presenting the final draft to Bush? Your expertise and > help is most appreciated. > > Sincerely, > Lee > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus > > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. > To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss > To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk > All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk > _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk