humm so the Sputnik analogy wasn't his apparently. I am nont sure that lets him off the hook though.
Sputnik moment," however, sounded to us not just false but clichéd. And in fact, it turned out the president himself had trotted out the "our generation's Sputnik moment" line before, at a Dec. 6, 2010, speech in North Carolina. But we doubted it originated in the White House speechwriting shop. It sounded like the work of a far, far worse writer. Sure enough, our suspicions were confirmed by a book review in the Sept. 9, 2008, edition of the New York Times: "Thomas L. Friedman's latest book is a plea for a new Sputnik moment."
Friedman, it turns out, has been beating the Sputnik drum since the Clinton years:
* "Just as the Soviet launch of Sputnik elevated the importance of science education in the early cold war, the onset of globalization and intensified economic competition is elevating the importance of technology education today."--March 10, 2000
* "Think about this. We are facing a mounting crisis in science and engineering education. The generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians who were spurred to get advanced degrees by the 1957 Soviet launch of Sputnik and the challenge by President John Kennedy to put a man on the moon is slowly retiring."--Dec. 5, 2004
* "A few years ago my youngest daughter participated in the National History Day program for eighth graders. . . . My daughter's project was 'How Sputnik Led to the Internet.' "--June 1, 2005
* "I came to Detroit looking for the hottest new American cars. Instead, I found Sputnik."--Jan. 20, 2006
* "The big question for me is, how will President Bush and the Democratic Congress use China: as a scapegoat or a Sputnik?"--Nov. 10, 2006
* "We used to try harder and do better. After Sputnik, we came together as a nation and responded with a technology, infrastructure and education surge."--June 29, 2008
* "I believe this Chinese decision to go green is the 21st-century equivalent of the Soviet Union's 1957 launch of Sputnik. . . . Well, folks. Sputnik just went up again: China's going clean-tech. . . . China is embarking on a new, parallel path of clean power deployment and innovation. It is the Sputnik of our day."--Sept. 27, 2009
* "I hope Americans see China's rise as the 21st-century equivalent of Russia launching the Sputnik satellite. . . . Unfortunately, the Cheneyites want to make fighting Al Qaeda our Sputnik."--Jan. 16, 2010
etc etc etc
more at-
The Speech Is Flat - WSJ.com