Acceptance Speech

WASHINGTON -- The doors to the House chamber flew open yesterday afternoon and a new Newt Gingrich strode down the center aisle.Where he had been the relentless partisan whose belligerence brought down the Democratic House, he was now the statesman praising Democratic liberals for ending racial segregation and inviting House members into his office individually to speak their minds.Whether Mr. Gingrich can sustain his new image -- and whether he can establish a record of achievement as speaker of the House to match his success as a partisan fighter -- are questions even he admits he cannot answer.

Barack Obama has given some great speeches since his national debut as the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Don't expect his speech Thursday night in Charlotte to be one of them. This is not a moment to announce his arrival on the national political scene. Nor will this speech be anything like the Philadelphia speech of May 2008, where he explained how racial identity shaped his life and the fate of the nation. Because asking to be returned to the Oval Office for a second term is a task quite different from asking for the first four years, Thursday's speech may not even look much like Mr. Obama's acceptance speech four years ago at Denver's Invesco Field.

CHICAGO -- Casting himself as a bridge to the future and a bulwark against Republican budget cuts, President Clinton claimed the Democratic presidential nomination again last night after the most turbulent day of his re-election campaign."

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Almost a half-century after starting his baseball broadcasting career, Chuck Thompson received the ultimate award here yesterday afternoon.He did so with the same style and grace that has endeared him to three generations of listeners in Baltimore. On the day that Reggie Jackson became baseball's 216th Hall of Fame inductee, Thompson gained entrance into the broadcasters' wing.With his family and hundreds of fans and friends in attendance, Thompson became the 17th recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, emblematic of excellence in his profession.

As expected, "Dances With Wolves," the majestic story of a cavalry officer's interaction with the Lakota Sioux in 1863, won the lion's share of awards at last night's 63rd annual Academy Awards with seven Oscars, including best picture and a best director award for first-time director Kevin Costner.But Costner did not win best actor, for which he was also nominated; that went, instead, to the British actor Jeremy Irons, for his role as Claus Von Bulow in "Reversal of Fortune," Barbet Schroeder's icy yet amusing version of the alleged poisoning of the still comatose heiress Sonny Von Bulow, Claus' wife.

HOUSTON -- Four years ago, Dan Quayle introduced himself to the nation's television screens by bounding onto the New Orleans dock where Republican presidential nominee George Bush had just proclaimed him to be his running mate.Mr. Quayle, beside himself with undisguised glee, grabbed and hugged Mr. Bush and immediately launched into the role he has played ever since: the all-out cheerleader for, and defender of, the man who took what has turned out to be a very big gamble on him.As Vice President Quayle awaits his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention here tonight, his exuberance has been somewhat overshadowed by the widespread criticism and even ridicule that his performance has generated.

Trying to draw lessons from the Webby Awards given out last week for one organization's idea of what's best on the Internet, you mostly come away impressed at the greatest awards-show gimmick ever: Winners' acceptance speeches are limited to five words. Five words. Not one more. So last year, Al Gore, picking up a lifetime-achievement award from the Webby-dispensing group known as the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, said, "Please don't recount this vote." This year, Arianna Huffington, accepting the best political blog award for her year-old Huffington Post site, said, "Darlings.

Here is the text of Bob Dole's acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention in San Diego last night:Thank you. Thank you very much, thank you. Thank you very much, what a night. The folks in Hollywood would be happy to know that I've found a movie I like, the one I just saw.L This is a big night for me and I'm ready. We're ready to go.Thank you California. And thank you San Diego for hosting the greatest Republican convention of them all, the greatest of them all.Thank you President Ford and President Bush and God bless you Nancy Reagan for your moving tribute to President Reagan.

Up until March 26, Chestertown's Washington College held as its biggest claim to Hollywood fame former student Linda Hamilton, famous for her role as guerrilla mom Sarah Connor in the "Terminator" movies. But this year's Academy Awards blew Hamilton out of the water when Washington graduate Tamara Tiehel Stedman took home the Oscar for best live-action short film. Stedman, herself a mom-to-be, took the Oscar stage wearing a spaghetti-strapped silver gown (an original by maternity designer Liz Lange)

'Salute to Music Education' honors Eileen ClarkEileen Clark, voice and music teacher at West Friendship Elementary School, was named Howard County Music Educator of the Year at the "Salute to Music Education" program at Atholton High School.During her acceptance speech, Mrs. Clark coaxed the audience into standing and singing together.Patty Hammer, voice and music teacher at Atholton Elementary School, and David Smith, band director at Mayfield Woods Middle School, were finalists for the award.