--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can document this past week [of…" description: "\"I can document this past week [of presidency] we've put out memos from every agency showing what did we do. Try to be as honest as possible. There's a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/barack-obama-17_agency_i-can-document-this-past-week-of-preside_98484.jpg" --- # I can document this past week \[of presidency\] we've put… ![“I can document this past week [of presidency] we've put out memos from every agency showing what did we do. Try to be as honest as possible. There's a little hype involved obviously. It's spin because it's our agencies. We feel some pride about it. But tried to be self-critical as well.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/barack-obama-17_agency_i-can-document-this-past-week-of-preside_98484.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/barack-obama-17_agency_i-can-document-this-past-week-of-preside_98484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33d/barack-obama-17_agency_i-can-document-this-past-week-of-preside_98484.jpg) > “I can document this past week \[of presidency\] we've put out memos from every agency showing what did we do. Try to be as honest as possible. There's a little hype involved obviously. It's spin because it's our agencies. We feel some pride about it. But tried to be self-critical as well.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker acknowledges both pride and criticism in documenting governmental actions, noting inevitable bias and the need for honesty. **In simple terms:** Balance pride with self‑critique. Key Takeaway Transparency requires confronting bias. Themes politics transparency communication accountability Mood balanced professional Type statement reflective When to use this quote - press releases - policy briefings Key Concepts institutional bias public trust Practical Applications - include independent audits - adopt clear disclaimer language Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions maintain credibility while promoting achievements? - What mechanisms best reduce spin in official communications? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Hype](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hype/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Presidency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidency/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) ## Related quotes > [What I value most about Pastor Wright is not his day-to-day political advice. 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The only person more over-hyped than me is you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-is-true-i-worry-about-the-hype-the-only-person-more-over-hyped/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The pyramids are one of those things that live up to the hype. They're elemental in ways that are hard to describe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-pyramids-are-one-of-those-things-that-live-up-to-the-hype-they-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I've been a musician since I was nine. I think a ghost or goblin visited me in the night. Maybe aliens abducted me, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/i-ve-been-a-musician-since-i-was-nine-i-think-a-ghost-or-goblin/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [We don't have a caucus, because we differ on so many views. Some of us are pro-choice, some are not. We'll take the issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mikulski/we-don-t-have-a-caucus-because-we-differ-on-so-many-views-some-of-us/) [Barbara Mikulski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mikulski/) > [“Bout time," she huffed, but her voice sounded thick and emotional too."I was at the hospital all day yesterday, but they wouldn't let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/bout-time-she-huffed-but-her-voice-sounded-thick-and-emotional-too-i/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [And Oliver North was really a good soldier, up to the last moment, shoving memos into the shredder and defending the policy to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-ray-inman/and-oliver-north-was-really-a-good-soldier-up-to-the-last-moment/) [Bobby Ray Inman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-ray-inman/) > [CIA Director George Tenet has now testified before the 9/11 commission and he said we are still making the same dumb mistakes, like leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/cia-director-george-tenet-has-now-testified-before-the-9-11/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [Memo to extreme partisans: If you can't bring yourselves to love your enemies, can you at least learn to hate your friends?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/memo-to-extreme-partisans-if-you-can-t-bring-yourselves-to-love-your/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [One of the most common ways to overcome resistance to change is to educate people about it beforehand. Communication of ideas helps people see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/one-of-the-most-common-ways-to-overcome-resistance-to-change-is-to/) [John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/) > [This supposed to be yall year? We aint get the memo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/this-supposed-to-be-yall-year-we-aint-get-the-memo/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [20-some years ago, I'd have a big old radio with a tape deck, and I'd hit record and try to get something down on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-chapin-carpenter/20-some-years-ago-i-d-have-a-big-old-radio-with-a-tape-deck-and-i-d/) [Mary Chapin Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-chapin-carpenter/) > [ There's a fantastic, thousand-page book by David Thomson about \[David O. Selznick\]. Again, it's not the best argument or the best advertisement for his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-longworth/there-s-a-fantastic-thousand-page-book-by-david-thomson-about-david-o/) [Karina Longworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-longworth/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. 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I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Agency quotes > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. 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