[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 50 (Monday, December 17, 2007)]
[Pages 1591-1592]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Resignation of William McGurn and the Appointment of 
Marc Thiessen as Assistant to the President for Speechwriting

December 14, 2007

    As Assistant to the President for Speechwriting, Bill McGurn has 
worked tirelessly to help communicate my agenda to the American people 
and the world. Bill is a serious thinker and a gifted writer whose 
command of language and knowledge of history have helped shape a wide 
variety of my speeches. I have counted on Bill to help me prepare State 
of the Union Addresses, policy announcements, and speeches to the 
Nation. In all our work together, I have valued Bill's creativity, 
insight, and sound judgment. And I have appreciated his friendship, 
generous spirit, and sense of humor.

[[Page 1592]]

    As he moves on to the next stage of his career, Bill can be proud of 
his service at the White House. The son of a marine, Bill loves his 
country and has served it well. Laura and I have come to know Bill's 
wife, Julie, and their daughters Grace, Maisie, and Lucy, and we wish 
Bill and his family all the best.
    I am pleased to announce that Bill's deputy, Marc Thiessen, will 
succeed him as Assistant to the President for Speechwriting. Marc has 
done superb work in the speechwriting office for more than 3 years. 
Before coming to the White House, he served as chief speechwriter to 
Secretary Rumsfeld. Marc is a talented writer and experienced 
communicator who will do an outstanding job in his new position. I look 
forward to continuing to work with him.