I don't necessarily disagree with you in this case, Brad. I think it is
revealing about the author's attitude on the topic, but the nuance, if
intended, is not effective in this context.

I would add that the tense could be meaningful and effective in other
contexts though. I work often with parents-to-be and new parents, and I find
that "he was the father" and "he is the father" mean very different things,
and the difference has nothing to do with whether or not the child is alive.
The verb form used immediately tells me a lot about the situation
(specifically, the role of the biological father in the parenting dynamic).
The use may not be explicitly chosen by the speaker, but it is meaningful
for the right audience -- a good exercise in clarity, context, and audience
judgment!

John

On Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 8:22 PM, Brad Johnston <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>  What's next for Peter Orszag? A wedding, for starters
>
> Peter Orszag with Bianna Golodryga at the White House, on May, 19, 2010 in
> Washington, D.C. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)
>
> Sad day in Washington as we prepatre to bid adieu to Peter Orszag, the
> unlikely sex god of the Obama administration. So what's next -- and why do
> we care so much?
>
> The outgoing OMB director with the wacky haircut looked like another policy
> wonk until the divorced father of two was romantically linked with venture
> capitalist Claire Milonas and Bianna Golodryga, the ABC financial reporter
> he met at the 2009 White House Correspondents' Association dinner. In
> December, Golodryga announced their engagement on "Good Morning America"
> -- just a week before Milonas confirmed Orszag was the father of her baby
> daughter.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~
>
> There's a wrong verb in the last line. If the child is alive, it should
> read, " Milonas confirmed Orszag *<was> is* the father of her baby
> daughter. Even the reckless can't give children away.
>
> .brad.23june10.
>
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