Photo: Getty Images. Illustration: Chloe Krammel
The fact that the Donald Trump show has been finally and definitively canceled is small solace. It doesn t relieve us of the burden to memorialize and document all of his perversions and those of all of his enablers. The damage he has done is almost incalculable. The way he has systematically tried to disparage and destroy longstanding traditions and programs across the country is beyond regrettable. He has cheapened the achievements of people who have been previously recognized and honored by extending his clown show into every institution. His grotesque tributes, awards, and honors would be simply snide and bad jokes (and maybe in his warped mind, that s exactly what they are) if they weren t draped with historical dignity and seriousness.
vast wasteland. the two words newt prefers we remember from his speech to the nation s broadcasters are these public interest. that s been the heartbeat of his life s work. advocating for residents of public housing, advising a governor and a supreme court justice, cementing presidential debates as our national institution, leading the s.e.c. when newt helped launch the first communications satellite making nationwide broadcasts possible and eventually gps possible and cell phones possible, he predicted it would be more important not that moon landing. this will launch ideas into space, he said, and ideas last longer than people. as far as i know, he s the only one of today s honorees who is present on my first date with michelle. imagine our surprise when we saw newt, one of our boss s that summer, at the movie theater.
but the two words he prefers we remember from his speech to the nation s broadcasters are these public interest. that s been the heart beat of his life s work, advocating for residents of public housing, advising a governor and supreme court justice, cementing presidential debates as our national institution, leading the fcc. when newt helped launch the first communications satellites, making nationwide broadcasts possible and eventually gps possible and cell phones possible he predicted it would be more important than the moon landing. this will launch ideas into space he said. and ideas last longer than people. as far as i know, he s the only one of today s honorees who was present on my first date with michelle. [ laughter ] imagine our surprise when we saw newt, one of our bosses that summer, at the movie theater. [ laughter ] it was do the right thing.
gates wouldn t normally be honored, now $30 billion in philanthropy, not to mention microsoft, normally they would wait until they re older. i think the president wanted to make sure while he had a chance that our nation honor them properly. it s a bit of his legacy, isn t it, the people he chooses to award? two are posthumous today. 19 of them are in that room. i m sure the president wanted to indicate something with these choices. yes. well, not only has he been a michael jordan fan since, you know, michael jordan came to the nba, probably before, but he also has some personal can connections do some of these. newt minow was a mentor for barack obama in chicago. helped him get into politics. has been a wise counselor these years. so, he deserves it for lots of reasons, but the personal connection also helps.
american indian lands, resources, trust funds, wasn t about special treatment but the equal treatment of the heart of the american promise. she fought for almost 15 years across three presidents, seven trials, ten appearances before a federal appeals court. all the while she traveled the country some 40 weeks a year telling the story of her people. and in the end, this graduate of a one-room schoolhouse became a macarthur genius, a proud daughter of montana s blackfeet nation, reached ultimately an itselfic victory for all native americans, through sheer force of will and a belief that the truth will win out. she overcame the longest odds reminding us that fighting for what is right is always worth it. now, every journalist in the room, every media critic, knows the phrase newt minow kind, the