Strategically to share his values. It was also the golden age of photographer in america and that is why this subject is of interest to us at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and hopefully you. Here at the museum we focus on telling the stories of the American Experience. From folk art to photographer as well as painting and sculpture and skracrafts and media arts. Our exhibition, john f. Kennedys life and times which you can view on the second floor in the graphic arts gallery is a premier event among many organized by the kennedy president ial library in this centennial year. I am stephanie stebich, the director of the american smithsonian art museum. Saam is what we call ourselves for short. We have assembled a group of historians and scholars debating the Kennedy Administration and its legacy. Many of you likely remember the Kennedy Administration and the arc of history. We also have several members of congress in the room with us and i want to pause for a moment and acknowledge
Good evening. Did you know that president John F Kennedy was the most photographed leader of his day. This may not surprise you since he used photography strategically to share his values of america. It was also the golden age of photography in america and thats why this subjec is of interest to us at the Smithsonian International art museum. We focus on telling the stories of the American Experience, from folk art to photography as well as painting and sculptor and crafts and media arts. Our exhibition, american visionary John F Kennedys life and times which you can view on the second floor in the graphic arts gallery is a premier event, among many organized by the kennedy president ial library. Im the mary and director of the smithsonian apaircon art museum and sam is what we call ourselves for short. Youre in for a special treat this evening as weve assembled a distinguished group of historians and scholars debating the Kennedy Administration and its legacy. Many of you likely remem
What is your insight into president barack obama because of four dinners with them . He is a highly intelligent man. He is keenly interested in history and the way in which the president ial institution has evolved. What he could take away from past president ial performances to make his a more compelling and more successful administration. I wish we had some extraordinary answers to provide him, but of course the nature of history is that it is an imperfect humanistic enterprise. He understood this. We talked a Great Variety of things in those interviews, in those dinners. Roughly 12 historians. I wasnt the only one there. ,ome of his principal aides including one of his principal speechwriters. For me it was a fascinating experience to be able to sit right next to the president at dinner and have this kind of exchange with him. Anmany ways, it felt like academic seminar. He is someone who has been a. Rofessor of law it was like being in a seminar with a bunch of colleagues. Did you l
Because after all, he is someone who has been a professor of law. It was like being in a seminar with a bunch of colleagues. That is how i would characterize it. Did you leave there writing things down after you were there to remind yourself . Can you give us an example . You know, when done with this i think we will have more dinners with him. One of my colleagues and i talked a little bit about writing a piece called dinners with obama. I think it will be a very positive piece because he listens. He wasnt intent on giving us instruction or lobbying us for anything in particular. Except that at the first dinner he wanted to know how president s achieved the transformative presidency. How did Franklin Roosevelt do it . Theodore roosevelt, woodrow wilson, Ronald Reagan with his reagan revolution. At the second dinner, because this was in 2010, he was slipping somewhat in the polls and did not have the continuing hold of the publics imagination. That is not unusual. Once president s are
Treaty to affect either the federalism issues that we have to deal with or to cause a court to look to the treaty to actually affect the individual lives of citizens here in the country . Is there a way of us coming together and writing ruds in that way . Senator, thank you for the question. I think with respect to the federalism issue, a federalism reservation could address the federalism problem that youve identified. Federalism reservation could, i think, be drafted to be somewhat stronger than the reservation that currently reservation attached to the resolution for ratification that came out last year. Conceivably such a reservation would make very clear what the e numb rated powers that congress possesses are. And reserve out of any obligations that couldnt be satisfied through the exercise of those powers. With respect to the interpretation issue, i think a set of understanding could be drafted that would make very clear that the United States does not accord any significance to