[1] But on Tuesday, Obama could not praise his one-time rival too warmly, jokingly recounting how Clinton's famous schmoozing skills had persuaded him to attend.

"I think everyone knows what it's like when Bill Clinton asks you to make a commitment," Obama said.

"He looks you in the eye, he feels your pain, he makes you feel like you're the only person in the room. What could I say? I was vulnerable, just like all of you have been vulnerable, to his charms."

http://www.soundanalarm.net/BillClintonWorldSaviour2009.html

> At the Jefferson Boulevard entrance to the campus, the guard at the gatehouse broke into a smile upon hearing Haden’s name. The guard, Eric Johnson, stepped out from his kiosk and explained that in his early 20s, he worked for a messenger service. One day he completed a downtown delivery to Haden, who stopped to converse with him for a few minutes.

With the exception of his time at Oxford, Haden has spent his entire adult life as the guy everybody knows as soon as he walks into the room. His friends say Haden’s gift is that he leaves knowing everybody else’s stories.

"He has such compassion and humility," said J. K. McKay, who caught Haden’s passes at Bishop Amat High in La Puente, Calif., east of Los Angeles, and at U.S.C., where they were coached by McKay’s father, John.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/sports/23haden.html?_r=1&#...