Post by Flamingo on Mar 30, 2004 18:24:38 GMT
BEYOND THE GATE
White House aide Bolten '76 manages president's budget
Erik Linstrum
Princetonian Staff Writer Friday March 12th 2004
As senior White House aides go, Joshua Bolten '76, the man who puts together the budget of the president of the United States, is an awfully modest guy.
When reminded that The New York Times last year reported that he "has his fingerprints all over 'just about every . . . domestic policy concocted in his powerful little corner of the West Wing,' " Bolten responded with the weary sarcasm of a man who has heard it all before.
"Geez, I'm surprised they left out international," he muttered.
In fact, when the 'Prince' called his West Wing office for an interview last week, he professed surprise that his his alma mater's newspaper would want to talk to the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget and former deputy chief of staff.
"You guys must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel," he said.
Life at the White House
Like many White House staffers, Bolten constantly steers the topic of conversation away from himself and back to his boss, President George W. Bush.
"Rarely have I seen a policy discussion go more than two minutes without him jumping in and directing the conversation," Bolten said. "He often knows where he wants to go, and much of the conversation is about how to get there. He uses a strong Socratic method."
Bush's habit is to wake up early. Bolten follows suit, although not by choice.
"I get in at 7:30, which is painful for me, because I'm not a morning person," he said. "This is a White House of early risers. [The president's] usually in his office by 7. The chief of staff is usually in by 6 a.m., to get ready to greet him in the Oval."
Bolten's 7:30 a.m. arrival time is cutting it close, since the daily senior staff meeting in the Roosevelt Room begins precisely at that time.
"That meeting usually lasts about a half hour," he said. "It's talking about the agenda for the day, and what the big issues are it might be legislative, might be an event the president is doing."
Bolten worked in the U.S. Trade Representative's office in the first Bush administration, but he didn't meet the current president until early 1999, when he journeyed to Austin, Texas, to interview for a spot on the campaign.
"I found him to be sharp and energetic and charismatic," Bolten said, "and with a tremendous philosophical compass."
He added, "Then a bunch of his friends came over for dinner, and he took us all to a [University of Texas] basketball game. So I knew he was my kind of guy."
As policy director for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign, Bolten assembled a brain trust of experts to advise the Republican candidates on a wide range of issues. Many of those experts Condoleezza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz and Lawrence Lindsey among them later took senior positions in the administration.
The West Wing
Bolten's reward for his campaign-season labors was a top spot in the West Wing, as deputy chief of staff. Aficionados of a certain NBC drama may recall that a guy named Josh fills the same position every Wednesday night at 9 p.m.
"You know I met him a couple times," Bolten said, referring to "The West Wing" actor Bradley Whitford, who plays the character Josh Lyman. "We had a great time. He's a tremendously friendly guy."
Though the cast led by Martin Sheen is not known for its Republican sympathies, Bolten sung their praises.
"The whole cast came by early in the administration," he said. "Although most of them didn't support the president during the campaign, they were all extremely courteous, and they seemed genuinely interested in how the government works."
Bolten said the show is "pretty good," despite its leftward leanings. But as a denizen of the real-life West Wing, he could criticize the show's accuracy in at least one respect.
"The halls in the West Wing are not nearly that large," he said. "I don't know how they do that. We can't really have those running conversations that are such a big part of the show."
Princeton's lessons
Bolten, a Wilson School major and member of Ivy Club while at Princeton, doesn't remember bumping into Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist '74 around campus. But he said they've reminisced about their time at Old Nassau.
"I've gotten to know him well here in Washington," Bolten said. "It's nice that we share that Princeton bond."
Of his time at the University, Bolten said, "I remember the experience there mostly for the friends I made. But it was also an excellent environment for learning. It was intellectually aggressive, without being oppressive a pretty lively place to have your mind expanded."
<http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2004/03/12/news/9934.shtml>
White House aide Bolten '76 manages president's budget
Erik Linstrum
Princetonian Staff Writer Friday March 12th 2004
As senior White House aides go, Joshua Bolten '76, the man who puts together the budget of the president of the United States, is an awfully modest guy.
When reminded that The New York Times last year reported that he "has his fingerprints all over 'just about every . . . domestic policy concocted in his powerful little corner of the West Wing,' " Bolten responded with the weary sarcasm of a man who has heard it all before.
"Geez, I'm surprised they left out international," he muttered.
In fact, when the 'Prince' called his West Wing office for an interview last week, he professed surprise that his his alma mater's newspaper would want to talk to the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget and former deputy chief of staff.
"You guys must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel," he said.
Life at the White House
Like many White House staffers, Bolten constantly steers the topic of conversation away from himself and back to his boss, President George W. Bush.
"Rarely have I seen a policy discussion go more than two minutes without him jumping in and directing the conversation," Bolten said. "He often knows where he wants to go, and much of the conversation is about how to get there. He uses a strong Socratic method."
Bush's habit is to wake up early. Bolten follows suit, although not by choice.
"I get in at 7:30, which is painful for me, because I'm not a morning person," he said. "This is a White House of early risers. [The president's] usually in his office by 7. The chief of staff is usually in by 6 a.m., to get ready to greet him in the Oval."
Bolten's 7:30 a.m. arrival time is cutting it close, since the daily senior staff meeting in the Roosevelt Room begins precisely at that time.
"That meeting usually lasts about a half hour," he said. "It's talking about the agenda for the day, and what the big issues are it might be legislative, might be an event the president is doing."
Bolten worked in the U.S. Trade Representative's office in the first Bush administration, but he didn't meet the current president until early 1999, when he journeyed to Austin, Texas, to interview for a spot on the campaign.
"I found him to be sharp and energetic and charismatic," Bolten said, "and with a tremendous philosophical compass."
He added, "Then a bunch of his friends came over for dinner, and he took us all to a [University of Texas] basketball game. So I knew he was my kind of guy."
As policy director for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign, Bolten assembled a brain trust of experts to advise the Republican candidates on a wide range of issues. Many of those experts Condoleezza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz and Lawrence Lindsey among them later took senior positions in the administration.
The West Wing
Bolten's reward for his campaign-season labors was a top spot in the West Wing, as deputy chief of staff. Aficionados of a certain NBC drama may recall that a guy named Josh fills the same position every Wednesday night at 9 p.m.
"You know I met him a couple times," Bolten said, referring to "The West Wing" actor Bradley Whitford, who plays the character Josh Lyman. "We had a great time. He's a tremendously friendly guy."
Though the cast led by Martin Sheen is not known for its Republican sympathies, Bolten sung their praises.
"The whole cast came by early in the administration," he said. "Although most of them didn't support the president during the campaign, they were all extremely courteous, and they seemed genuinely interested in how the government works."
Bolten said the show is "pretty good," despite its leftward leanings. But as a denizen of the real-life West Wing, he could criticize the show's accuracy in at least one respect.
"The halls in the West Wing are not nearly that large," he said. "I don't know how they do that. We can't really have those running conversations that are such a big part of the show."
Princeton's lessons
Bolten, a Wilson School major and member of Ivy Club while at Princeton, doesn't remember bumping into Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist '74 around campus. But he said they've reminisced about their time at Old Nassau.
"I've gotten to know him well here in Washington," Bolten said. "It's nice that we share that Princeton bond."
Of his time at the University, Bolten said, "I remember the experience there mostly for the friends I made. But it was also an excellent environment for learning. It was intellectually aggressive, without being oppressive a pretty lively place to have your mind expanded."
<http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2004/03/12/news/9934.shtml>