2006年VOA标准英语-Bolten Prepares to Assume Top White House

By Jim Malone
Washington
31 March 2006

Incoming White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten speaks as President Bush watches in the Oval Office of the White House Tuesday   
  
Republicans in Congress are hoping that incoming White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten will help turn around President Bush's faltering¹ political fortunes. Bolten will soon replace long-time Bush chief of staff Andy Card.

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The high-level staff change comes in the wake of low public approval ratings for the president and demands from Republicans to shakeup the White House staff.

Mr. Bush describes Josh Bolten as a creative policy thinker.

"He is a man of candor² and humor and directness, who is comfortable with responsibility, and knows how to lead," he said.

Bolten is currently budget director, and served in the White House during the president's first term.

"You have set a clear course to protect our people at home, to promote freedom abroad and to expand our prosperity," he said.
 

White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card  
  
Bolten replaces Andy Card, who is returning to private life after having served as Mr. Bush's chief of staff for nearly five-and-one-half years, the second longest tenure³ in that White House post in history.

Card is best remembered as the aide who whispered in the president's ear that America was under attack on September 11, 2001.

Stephen Hess, a presidential expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington says, presidents often make staff changes in their second terms, especially when faced with low public approval ratings.

"Lots of people have been demanding a shakeup," he said. "It happens in every administration, when a president is in trouble. Those in Washington, the so-called pundits⁴, sometimes others, say, 'do not just stand there, do something.'"

Republicans, who control both houses of Congress, are concerned that President Bush's weak position in public opinion polls could hurt their re-election chances in November.

Some Republicans had urged the president to go outside his inner circle, and choose a more senior figure to head the White House staff, in hopes of turning around negative views of the administration's handling of Iraq and the response to Hurricane Katrina.

"I think, people will be happy with Josh Bolten as a competent person, who will come in and fill the shoes that Andy Card filled before. But, there really is no new blood," said John Fortier, a political expert at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

"I think, what people are looking for is some senior person, some senior Republican, who has standing⁵ on his own, to come into the White House, and be able to talk to Bush outside of the existing staff that he has," he added.

University of Virginia analyst⁶ Larry Sabato expects Bolten will be given the opportunity to make other changes, as well.

"People have been expecting a staff change, and, certainly, Republicans have been encouraging it. Whether this is a significant enough staff change is another question," he said.

Experts say staff changes usually make little difference in public perceptions of a president's performance or policies.

But analyst Stephen Hess says there have been times when it did have an impact.

"I think, it made a difference that Ronald Reagan brought in Howard Baker⁷ after the Iran Contra Scandal," he said. "Why? It was a scandal. Things needed a cleaning out, and a new person came in to help do that. That was a fairly unique thing. This present situation with George W. Bush, whatever his problems are, they do not have to do with an individual scandal."

Instead, Stephen Hess says, public discontent about Mr. Bush's handling of Iraq remains⁸ at the heart of the administration's political problems.

"I mean, this is primarily about Iraq," he said. "There is no sense in talking about his education policy, or something like that. I mean, he has been in office now for nearly six years. He has got one major policy, in which he has thrown all the chips into the game. Is it going to work? We shall see."

After a brief transition period with Andy Card, Josh Bolten will assume his new duties in mid-April.

1 faltering   

犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• I canfeel my legs faltering. 我感到我的腿在颤抖。

2 candor   

n.坦白，率真

参考例句：

• He covered a wide range of topics with unusual candor.他极其坦率地谈了许多问题。
• He and his wife had avoided candor,and they had drained their marriage.他们夫妻间不坦率，已使婚姻奄奄一息。

3 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

4 pundits   

n.某一学科的权威，专家( pundit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pundits disagree on the best way of dealing with the problem. 如何妥善处理这一问题，专家众说纷纭。 来自辞典例句
• That did not stop Chinese pundits from making a fuss over it. 这并没有阻止中国的博学之士对此大惊小怪。 来自互联网

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。