Introducing PunditWire

For all you political speechwriters who have had to suffer in silence through the years, take heart (and note).  Thanks to PunditWire, a new dedicated website for the Safire set, you now have a platform to publicly share your bon mots, bad reviews, and otherwise vent about the state of political discourse.

PunditWire is the brainchild of two top political prose pros, Bob Lehrman and Leonard Steinhorn, who are both now teaching at American University (the site's sponsor) in Washington.  They have recruited a few other seasoned speechwriters to join them as regular contributors.  Here in their own words (only fitting for a bunch of writers) is how they describe themselves, their purpose, and their perspective:

We've worked on campaigns, Capitol Hill, and in the White House. We've been at every level of politics writing for politicians of every stripe. We're usually behind-the-scenes, accustomed to seeing our words and thoughts associated with others, not ourselves. 

Now, with PunditWire, we have a home for our own commentary. Now you can read what we, personally, have to say. The wordsmiths now have a place for their own words. 

As speechwriters, we offer you a double perspective: we're insiders and observers at the same time, political participants in the arena and spectators with special insight into the language of politics. Our goal is to write columns that inform and illuminate. 

We welcome all former speechwriters to contribute, to add their voice, to make a difference in our national dialog and debate. We say this is a site for speechwriters. But in truth it's for our readers. Communicating to others is what got us into this business. It's what keeps us going. Please let us know what you think.

It's a great idea and long overdue.  We encourage you to add it to your daily must-reads.  For more information about how to become a contributor, click here.