Washington (CNN) -- It is a lesson from the ages: Lawmakers like to talk. Even in this advanced age when thoughtlets, capped at 140 characters, are tweeted as discourse, politicians still tend to prattle on. So here's a cue from Abraham Lincoln: Cut it short. When Lincoln took the stage, 150 years ago November 19, to offer a dedication at a cemetery for war dead in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the story goes that he wasn't very popular. He didn't even have top billing at the event. Lincoln had been asked to "please offer a few appropriate remarks." He settled on about 200 words.
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Lincoln didn't even get top billing at Gettysburg ceremony honoring Civil War dead
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Keynoter Edward Everett spoke for two hours at Gettysburg, Lincoln for about two minutes
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Obama answered a question at a Thursday news conference for six full minutes
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Modern speeches done by committee show how all writers want to get their points across
We know @placeholder takes great care in editing the speeches drafted by his speechwriters.