Spectacles

The scowling fellow to Dashchle’s right is Bob Dole.

Politicians, the club of crooks, not convicted, but appointed or elected to high places.
Tell me it is not true.

Riiiiight, Daschle didn’t pay tax on a car, but the new head of the IRS didn’t pay income taxes for a number of years, even though he knew he was supposed to! Talk about Lefty double standards.

The glasses really are a very strange affectation. If they are an attempt to freshen up his image for a return to political power and public prominence after being muscled out, the editorial decision to return to glassless images sure does look like a refusal to play along.

Clearly, I have made a most excellent fashion statement: these specs have got the Blue and Red blogsters talking.

I’ve stayed silent on this issue up until now, because as far as I could tell, the red, round eyeglasses were only making fleeting appearances on Tom Daschle’s face. “OK,” I thought. “The guy wants to be different, to live a little. I get it.”
Then, yesterday, he unveiled his quirky eyewear to the nation when he was announced by Barack Obama as head of the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House office on health reform. I’d be willing to bet that after people saw the images from the press conference, there were more conversations about Daschle’s glasses than about his plans to improve health care.
Got an opinion?

Can’t let the Boss get all the DC eyewear cred, you know?
I don’t care what you say about me, just spell my name right. That’s T-o-m D-a-s-c-h-l-e, and I am hip.

From a strictly photographic POV, the BAG’s second image of Daschle is an excellent head shot. Nice tight composition, dynamic angle, good lighting and catchlights, lots of sharp detail and texture, earnest expression, and the round red glasses accent (and focus your attention on) the subject’s eyes.) An A+ for photographer Charles Dharapak.

I believe that the angry looking man gazing at Daschle in the first picture of the series is Bob Dole, who often — perhaps usually — has this dour look.

I wonder how much time he spent pondering the glasses? What was the internal dialogue? Should it be red? Blue? Black? Did he pick them? Did someone pick them for him? Did he spent as much time pondering the fashion angle of the glasses as the ethical angle of the taxes? Smart guys with blind spots that no glasses will help them see.

Is that a purple coat with black trousers? With his little red willie tie peeking out. There’s something “crooked” about the man from the way he holds his head to his tilted smile. And that is not a genuine smile. See Erdman.

somewhere, howard dean is laughing.

doesn’t daschle know red glasses have already been spoken for as a trademark?

re obama’s people, vanity fair has fresh group portraits of the obama crew.

He was a failure when he was in charge and started the Dem.s roll-over phase. Probably the only one of Obama’s picks I have strong feelings against. Should have left him back in the 90’s with Dole and the ghoul in the background.

I wonder how much time he spent pondering the glasses? What was the internal dialogue?
dear god, i hope it wasn’t some personal shopper/stylist telling him he looked fierce in them.
tom! what are you doing with a stylist??

cenoxo, I think Daschle is having an affair with Margaret Carlson

on the headshot comment…it’s sort of an undercarriage shot….

borrowing thomas’ apt description upstairs, while it was irresistible to mock the pretentious affectation of red glasses on one hand, upon further reflection, i wondered if this wasn’t a sign of somebody willing to take risks, to going outside the box and be creative? say… with healthcare reform.
knock on wood.

Looks like Obama’s hopes Daschled.
Guess there’ll be some changes made.

you have a freeperesque delight in (and expectation of) obama’s failure.

I believe that the angry looking man gazing at Daschle in the first picture of the series is Bob Dole….
Bob Dole as rendered by George Grosz or Francis Bacon.