Dana Perino: ‘Fearless’ Co-host of ‘The Five’

By Merrill Knox 

MarketWatch’s Jon Friedman writes about the “star quality” of Dana Perino, co-host of Fox News Channel’s “The Five.” Perino’s charismatic trademark is her fearlessness, Friedman determines:

Perino comes by her fearlessness honestly. In a world where people are said to dread public speaking more than death itself, Perino’s ability to appear unflappable stems from her tenure as President George W. Bush’s press secretary from 2007 to 2009, when he left office. She lived and worked in a cauldron. She had the charge of conducting the daily White House press briefings.

When she spoke for Bush, you’d get the feeling that she could melt stainless steel with a glance. Perino stressed that her work now was certainly “different — but good!”

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She and I talked Tuesday afternoon on the set of “The Five,” sitting around the same table shown on the show. What struck me about our interview was how self-critical Perino could be. “I don’t think I risk enough,” she said.

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