From the NYT, an illustration of the president's unofficial power to use conferences and other mechanisms to spotlight attention to certain issues:
President Obama poked fun at his own big ears and funny name on Thursday, but all in the service of a serious subject as he and Michelle Obama opened a White House conference to spur antibullying efforts in schools and communities nationwide.
“If there’s one goal of this conference, it’s to dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up,” Mr. Obama told about 150 students, parents, teachers and advocates of prevention measures gathered in the East Room.
. . . The conference was an outgrowth of an effort among six cabinet agencies that began last August with a session at the Education Department to promote cooperation between government and nongovernment players, including the National PTA and MTV.
To disseminate information from the government, the president announced a new Web site, StopBullying.gov. In October, the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights sent educators a letter explaining their legal duties to protect students from bullying based on race, ethnicity, disability or sexuality. In December, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who heads the administration’s efforts, sent guidance to state officials on resources and best practices.
