Truth To Power

A phrase to summarize the role of the consultant. "What do you do?" "I tell truth to power."

The role was often fulfilled in days of yore by the CourtJester, which isn't so different from a consultant.

First heard on WestWing?.

The phrase is most certainly older than that: A quick web search turns up the phrase "Speak Truth to Power" in the title of a book from 1996 (http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topic/WomensStudies/ReadingRoom/BookReviews/swwnc.html). And in this article (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/01/03/human_rights.html) a Columbia university professor is credited with having originated the phrase, although no date is given.