White House Résumé Contained Error
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
A White House announcement about President Bush’s new domestic policy adviser, Karl Zinsmeister, inaccurately described him as having “founded” a conservative magazine, a liberal Web site reported.
While Mr. Zinsmeister has been the editor-in-chief of the American Enterprise since 1994, the magazine dates back to 1990, at least in name. A blog connected with the American Prospect magazine quoted Karlyn Bowman as saying that she edited the American Enterprise from its inception until Mr. Zinsmeister took over in late 1994.
Through a spokeswoman at the Washington think tank that publishes the journal, the American Enterprise Institute, Mr. Zinsmeister confirmed that he was not a founder of the magazine.
However, colleagues said Mr. Zinsmeister instituted radical changes in the design and focus of the magazine before publishing the first issue under his editorship in December 1994.
A White House spokeswoman, Jeanie Mamo, said White House staffers based their description of Mr. Zinsmeister on a public resume in which he said he “formulated” the magazine.” We interpreted that as founded and we could have been clearer,” she said. “On the other hand, he’s been there 12 years and he’s certainly made the magazine what it is today.”
