Harry Who?
They considered Alan Alda, Mary Tyler Moore and Warren Beatty before deciding an actor was not quite right for the role. Still in search of a narrator for their film responding to Reagan's speech, the Democrats turned to Harry McPherson. Harry who?
"He had the right voice. The right appearance. No baggage. And he told a good story," said California Congressman Tony Coelho, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. A prominent politician had been ruled out, since one could not be chosen without offending others. McPherson, 53, who in the 1960s held posts in the Department of State and served as special counsel to President Johnson, was an obscure but credible figure. What does the Texas-born lawyer make of his stardom? Shrugged he: "A friend told me that older citizens need their own sex symbols."
Most Popular »
- The End of Audacity
- Hate Your Job? Here's How to Reshape It
- The Man Behind Russia's Deadly Train Blast
- Health Care Reform: Whatever Happened to Cost Controls?
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- The Pakistani Taliban's War on Schoolchildren
- Astronomers Spy a New Planet-Like Object
- The Toughest Diet
- Toyota's Big Recall Unlikely to Quiet Critics
- Why Congress is Furious at the Fed
- For Churches, Beefed-Up Security Is a Mixed Blessing
- Workers of the World vs. China Inc.
- Could Jacob Zuma Be the President South Africa Needs?
- Where China Goes Next
- New Legal Protections for the Elderly
- Is the Dollar Dying a Slow Death?
- Medvedev Dashes Hopes for More Democracy in Russia
- Losing Your Job: A Blow to Your Health Too
- Is There Really a Credit Crunch?
- Obama Afghanistan Plan Breaks Old Ground
Top Stories on TIME.com
Quotes of the Day »
RSS