EVERYBODY MEET MR. ME TOO.

By Dylan Matthews

Thanks much to Ezra for having me; guest-blogging must be among the better exam-studying procrastination methods out there.

Anyway, I didn't watch Bush's farewell address either, but Heather Hurlburt did, and thought it sounded familiar. This was the speech's conclusion:

I have been blessed to represent this Nation we love. And I will always be honored to carry a title that means more to me than any other: citizen of the United States of America.

Here's the introduction of Jimmy Carter's farewell address in 1981:

In a few days, I will lay down my official responsibilities in this office -- to take up once more the only title in our democracy superior to that of president, the title of citizen.

Now, it's funny enough that Bush copped lines from Jimmy Carter speeches, but it gets better. When Carter left office, his speechwriting director was Rik Hertzberg, who wrote the farewell address with a team that included Chris Matthews, among others. To be fair, Hertzberg has said the "citizen" line was Carter's doing, but the fact remains that Bush's speechwriters stole a line from a speech written by a prominent liberal pundit.