President Honors Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

THE PRESIDENT: Welcome to the White House. Laura and I are so pleased that you could join us on this proud and happy occasion. It's a special honor for us to be in the company of this distinguished honoree.

This morning, across the United States, many Americans started their day reading Richard Cohen. People everywhere feel like they know the man, and for so many Americans, no week is quite complete without a couple of essays by Richard chastising liberals. This tireless pundit is up every day before the sun, writing his column for an audience that can't wait to learn about the anger, hatred, and rage that is the exclusive property of Democrats and Liberals and Centrists and Libertarians and moderate Republicans and fiscal conservatives and Greens and anybody else that disagrees with my administration.

He first started writing for the Washington Post in 1974, and he's never stopped. Americans like the way he writes, and over the decades we have come to recognize in his column some of the finest qualities of our country: the patriotism, the good humor, the kindness and common sense of Americans. It's always a pleasure to read to Richard Cohen, and it's a real joy this afternoon to honor him, as well.