My closest aides were unanimous in pleading with me to address the Nation in the wake of the San Bernadino attack. "Fine," I said, "but what countermeasures am I going to announce?"
"Oh just fudge it , Barry... stay the course...that sort of thing," advised Valerie Jarrett who is who is a master of the art of saying nothing while sounding profound. Remember all those red-lines I warned Syria not to cross? That was Jarrett's genius in action...it bought me a month of respite while keeping the media off my back.