But what emerged from these carefully crafted essays was a sentiment that was confirmed in private conversations.
Since these are private conversations, it is tough for The Economist to know exactly what was said.
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In private conversations Bush administration officials emphasize that the president has never turned his back on black Americans.
Has he had any private conversations with the President in the last week?
The NRA's message both in public and private conversations with lawmakers is clear.
He asks the congregation to talk to God, and a couple of thousand private conversations resonate in the hall.
It may decide that the Internet has changed the rules, that private lobbying and private conversations are no longer enough.
Welcome to the end of private conversations, because increasingly your conversations are conducted by e-mail, text, or social networking sites.
But the scale of it allowing any of your friends to monitor your private conversations and even video chats is massive.
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The research and education arm of the Independent Petroleum Association of America cried foul at the private conversations of the powerful public figures.
When Hewlett-Packard briefly considered spinning out its PC business in 2011, Mr. Dell in private conversations derided the idea as a big mistake.
For its part, various branches of the U.S. Government got in their digs in speeches or in private conversations with Xi during the week.
UN, including private conversations of Kofi Annan, the organisation's secretary-general.
But in private conversations they also express hope that increased US pressure on Pakistan to squeeze the space for militant groups will weaken the army's resolve to continue to support and protect them.
The comments are likely to anger Mr Blair, who is thought to have been annoyed that Lord Ashdown unveiled the details of private conversations between the two in the first volume of the diaries.
The first act's several private conversations are made possible by Santo Loquasto's nifty Lazy Susan set, with bedrooms turning to reveal the apartment's entry way, which turns again to reveal a sitting room and then a dining room.
Tom Keonig, president of Dynasound, said in recent months there has been an increase in interest in the company's eavesdrop-prevention equipment, which masks the intelligibility of conversations or keep private conversations from escaping boardrooms and other sensitive areas.
It is also true that some of you have asked me over recent days whether or not the President was aware of the incident, what he thought about it, and I chose not to talk about private conversations.
Most historians now dismiss any serious organised plot, but Wilson was so worried he took to running the taps in Downing Street lavatories before having private conversations, and would point worriedly at light-fittings, implying that they were bugged.
What this shows us, among other things, is that so long as the War on Terrorism continues, Mr. Addington believes that President Obama is permitted to listen to the private conversations of innocent American citizens absent any oversight from another branch of government.
But last week provided an even more striking example of the pragmatic detente between the two men: after months of private conversations with the President, Lott went public with a proposal that would have the effect of restraining Social Security and other entitlements.
We have been intensely engaged in negotiations, in conversations, in proposals and counter-proposals with Congress at a variety of different levels -- the talks led by the Vice President, the private conversations and negotiations that the President had with the Speaker of the House.
Public letters and private conversations had the desired effect: Barack Obama began treating his Israeli counterpart with a modicum of respect and the optics of a restarted peace process - however shortlived or doomed - helped conjur up an image of a renewed partnership between the two nations.
Nevertheless, these cables could compromise private discussions with foreign governments and opposition leaders, and when the substance of private conversations is printed on the front pages of newspapers across the world, it can deeply impact not only US foreign policy interests, but those of our allies and friends around the world.
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Similarly, Facebook and Twitter send login credentials over a secure line and then revert to an unsecure protocol. (Users of those social networks can add an "s" after "http" to force the systems to encrypt their browsing.) Social networking sites are where people increasingly conduct private conversations, whether through Facebook's Messages or Twitter's Direct Message feature.
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"What was important was his private conversations -- you know ... everybody say the l'avvocato told me, l'avvocato suggested me, I met the l'avvocato, I had a call in the early morning from the l'avvocato... to be in touch with him ... to be related to him ... was a state symbol for everybody, " journalist Carlo Rossella told CNN.
Subsequently, in private conversations, he admitted the real reason: It was not that he was unpersuaded of the merits of the case but was simply determined to prevent the United States from having an excuse to pursue a President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, to which he from the political Right and virtually everyone on the European Left vehemently objected.
This source spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private committee conversations.
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We were not privy to those private military conversations, but today there is definitely a buzz going around.
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