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Tony Snow is the White House Press Secretary for the George W. Bush administration. He succeeded Scott McClellan, becoming the third individual to serve in that position under President Bush. It is the second Presidential administration to which Snow has been employed, having worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and Deputy Assistant of Media Affairs. Between his two White House stints, Snow was a broadcaster and newspaper columnist. After years of regular guest-hosting for The Rush Limbaugh Show and providing news commentary for National Public Radio, he launched his own talk radio program, The Tony Snow Show, which went on to become nationally syndicated. He was also a regular personality on Fox News Channel since 1996, hosting Fox News Sunday, Weekend Live, and often substituting as host of The O'Reilly Factor.
Race Relations in America Charles Moskos, a white sociology professor and John Sibley Butler, a black professor of sociology, are the nation's foremost authorities on race relations in the armed forces and in the United States. Moskos and Butler offer a blueprint for organizations to provide opportunities for all and to improve race relations at the same time. They are the co-authors of All That We Can Be: Black Leadership and Racial Integration the Army Way.
The Def Poetry Experience A thrilling evening of spoken word infused with hip-hop music featuring the stars of HBO Def Poetry…Daniel Beaty, YOLANDA KAE WILKINSON, & Helena D. Lewis. Join these three internationally renowned, award winning poets as they electrify the mike tackling themes such as womanhood, bad relationships, Jewish identity, sexuality, racism, and bad breath!
Burton Gerber and John Brennan Burton Gerber, former director of the European and the Soviet & East European divisions of the Directorate of Operations at the CIA, and John Brennan, former head and organizational architect of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) and of its predecessor organization the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC)Gerber worked primarily in operations related to the former Soviet Union and the former Warsaw Pact countries. He served overseas as the CIA chief of station in three separate assignments. In Washington, he directed the agency's operational programs in the former Soviet Union and Europe for eight years.
Dr. Yonah Alexander One of the world's leading authorities on terrorism, Professor Alexander was the founder and editor of Terrorism: An International Journal and has published fifty books on the subject of international affairs, terrorism, and psychological warfare. He is the director of the Terrorism Studies Program at The George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Bill Baird Bill Baird is the next speaker for the Convention was abortion rights activist Bill Baird, who spoke on “The Politics of God, Government and Sex.” Known as “The Father of the Abortion Rights Movement,” he returns to the Convention on the 27th anniversary of the historic BAIRD v. EISENSTADT, the 1972 U.S. Supreme Court decision that liberalized birth control laws in the United States and helped to establish the cornerstone of ROE v. WADE. The BAIRD case was quoted six times in the ROE decision. He established the nation’s first birth control and abortion center on a college campus in 1965. Part of that time he spent in jail for teaching about birth control in New York. In 1967, he was sentenced to three months in prison for “crimes against chastity,” that is, for exhibiting birth control and abortion devices to an audience of two thousand individuals at Boston University and giving a non-prescriptive contraception to a nineteen-year-old college student. Baird described the contemporary abortion battle as “a holy war,” and noted that there have been over 200 firebombs and acts of vandalism against abortion providers. He then discussed indicators of the intensity of the present abortion-rights fight, and noted how anti-choice zealots often “demonize” and objectify those they disagree with. One example was a lurid posted used by Catholics anti-abortion activists which depicted Jesus re-crucified over the heads of aborted fetuses, with an American flag at half-mast as a distress signal.. Another item was a pamphlet, “Who Killed Junior?”, which included a picture of a knife stabbing into the depiction of an infant. Another illustration depicted a fetus writhing in pain with the legend: “Aborted babies at 13 weeks old will struggle for life after an abortion from 2 to 3 hours.” On the back page, text read: “No woman has a right over her baby’s body -- the baby is another person, a separate human being.”
Zbigniew Brzezinski Former National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski is an articulate voice on U.S. Foreign Policy, who understands the the new world order and its political effects on global business. A consultant on International Affairs, Brzezinski is author of the best-seller The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives. Zbigniew Brzezinski currently serves as a counselor for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and is a professor of American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Baltimore, Maryland. From 1977 to 1981, he was National Security Advisor to the President of the United States. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in the normalization of U.S.-China relations and for his contribution to the U.S. human rights and national security policies in 1981. Brzezinski is also a member of the National Endowment for Democracy Board of Directors, a Congressionally-funded institution for the advancement of democracy. He serves as an honorary chairman of the AmeriCares Foundation, a member of the Board of Trustees of Freedom House and a trustee of the Trilateral Commission (a cooperative American-European-Japanese forum). A member of the Board of Directors of the Polish-American Enterprise Fund, Brzezinski also chairs the American-Ukrainian Advisory Committee. He is a frequent participant in annual business and trade conventions and the president of Z.B., Inc., an advisory firm on international issues to corporations and financial institutions). Brzezinski was previously a member of the Policy Planning Council for the Department of State (1966-68), a member of the President's Chemical Warfare Commission (1988) and a member of the NSC - Defense Department Commission on Integrated Long-Term Strategy (1987-88). He has also served on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. During the 1968 presidential campaign, he chaired the Humphrey Foreign Policy Task Force and was the principal foreign policy advisor to Jimmy Carter in the 1976 campaign. In 1988, he was co-chairman of the Bush National Security Advisory Task Force. He has also been actively involved with Amnesty International and the Council on Foreign Relations. He has taught at Columbia University, Harvard University and Howard University, received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and his BA and MA from McGill University. Brzezinski is the author of The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives, Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the Twenty-first Century, Power and Principle: Memoirs of the National Security Advisor, 1977-1981 and The Geostrategic Triad: Living with China, Europe and Russia.
President George Bush In 1989, few could have imagined that four years later the Cold War would be won; the threat of nuclear war would be all but eliminated; the Soviet Union would be replaced by a democratic Russia; Germany would be unified; and age-old enemies would be discussing lasting peace in the Middle East.

Yet, these and so many more dramatic events unfolded at home and abroad-each day, it seemed-and leading America through this period of unprecedented change was President George Bush. Mr. Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts on June 12, 1924. On his 18th birthday, he graduated from Phillips Academy and enlisted in the Navy. During active duty in the Pacific, he flew torpedo bombers off the USS San Jacinto. He was shot down on September 2, 1944 afte4r completing a bombing raid on Chi Chi Jima and was eventually awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.

Mr. Bush returned from the battle in 1945, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University in 1948, and moved to Texas to begin making his way in the oil industry. His career in public service began in 1966 when he was elected to the first of two terms representing Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Bush was named ambassador to the United Nations in 1974; and in 1976 director of the CIA. Ronald Reagan selected George Bush to be his running mate in 1980, and they went on to serve two terms in office together.

In 1988, he earned the GOP nomination and the support of the American people to become the 41st president of the United States.

Max Cleland Former U.S. Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) is a member of the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). President George Bush nominated Cleland on Nov. 21, 2003. He was subsequently confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on Dec. 15, 2003 for a term expiring January 20, 2007. Cleland has a long and distinguished career in public service at the state and national levels in both the executive and legislative branches of government. In 2002, Cleland was appointed to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States to report findings and recommendations to prevent future terrorist attacks. More recently he has served as a Distinguished Adjunct Professor to American Universitys (AU) Washington Semester Program, and as a Fellow in AU’s Center for Congressional & Presidential Studies. Cleland successfully ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Sam Nunn in 1995. He served on four Senate Committees: Armed Services; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Governmental Affairs; and Small Business. Previously, Cleland had the distinction of serving as the youngest Secretary of State in Georgia’s history, and the youngest member of the Georgia State Senate. Under President Jimmy Carter, Cleland became the youngest head of the U.S. Veterans Administration. In that capacity, he instituted the revolutionary Vets Center program that, for the first time, offered psychological counseling to combat veterans to heal the emotional wounds of war. Cleland volunteered for duty in Vietnam and was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1968. He was seriously wounded in a grenade explosion that year, costing him both legs and his right arm. He was awarded the Bronze Star and a Silver Star for gallantry in action. Cleland holds a master’s degree in American History from Emory University. He majored in history at Stetson University. Both institutions subsequently awarded him honorary doctorate degrees. Cleland grew up in Lithonia, GA.
Terry Edmonds Assistant to the President of the United States, Chief domestic policy speech writer for Bill Clinton and the first Black director of the White House speech writing office. Terry Edmonds was responsible for the production of all spoken remarks of President Clinton including the President's 2000 State of the Union Address. He also assisted in drafting the President's report to the nation on race relation in 21st century America.
Judge Mablean Ephriam With over twenty years of experience behind her as a trial attorney and mediator, Mablean Ephriam brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the bench of DIVORCE COURT, the half-hour, relationship-oriented courtroom show by Monet Lane Prods., Inc. and Twentieth Television. DIVORCE COURT features real-life couples, real conflicts and powerful human drama in a compelling true-life courtroom setting where litigants abide by Ms. Ephriam’s legally-binding decisions. Ms. Ephriam began her legal career in law enforcement as a correctional officer at the Women’s Division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Terminal Island. Pursuing her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer, Ms. Ephriam, while raising a family, accepted a job as a legal secretary. Simultaneously, she attended and completed Whittier College of Law. (Ms. Ephriam is divorced and the mother of four.) After five years as a Deputy City Attorney in Los Angeles, where she served as Domestic Violence Coordinator for spousal, parent and child abuse, Ms. Ephriam’s hard work and dedication paid off. In 1982, she went into private practice emphasizing family law, personal injury and probate. She also served as a Hearing Examiner for the City of Los Angeles, Civil Service Commission. Formerly a member of the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar and State Bar of California Family Law Sections, Ms. Ephriam is well known for her noteworthy contributions to the Los Angeles legal community. Additionally, her commitment and dedication to community service in the area of family law has earned her many prestigious awards throughout her career. In 1993, the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles recognized Ms. Ephriam with the Distinguished Service Award for her numerous contributions as co-founder of the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law, a legal assistance program that provides services to indigent persons in the areas of family law, guardianship and paternity. Ms. Ephriam also received the 1995 Woman of the Year Award -- California State Assembly -- 48th District. The following year, the Los Angeles County Bar Association bestowed Ms. Ephriam with the Spencer-Brandeis Award. The Harriet Buhai Family Law Center paid tribute to her with the Zephyr Ramsey Award for her many years of exceptional service to the community. In 1997, Whittier College of Law, Ms. Ephriam’s alma mater, named her Alumni of the Year.
Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is the host of the number one rated weekend hit "HUCKABEE" on the Fox News Channel, and is heard three times daily across the nation on the "Huckabee Report" on the ABC Radio Network, the fast growing new program on the ABC Radio Network in years. He is the author of 6 books, the most recent being "Do the Right Thing," which spent its first 7 weeks of release in the top ten of the New York Times Bestseller list. After his quest for the Republican nomination for President in 2008, in which he finished second to John McCain, he formed HuckPac to assist Republicans running for office nationwide and has amassed a volunteer army of thousands of activists in all 50 states. From 1996-2007, Huckabee served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas and was recognized as a national leader, having been honored by several renowned publications and organizations for his numerous accomplishments. Governing Magazine named him as one of its 'Public Officials of the Year' for 2005, Time Magazine honored him as one of the five best governors in America, and later in the same year, Huckabee received the American Association of Retired Person's Impact Award. In 2007, he was presented with the Music for Life Award by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) for his commitment to music education. He served as the Chairman of the prestigious National Governors Association as well as the Education Commission of the States and the Interstate Oil and Gas Commission. Huckabee became governor in July 1996 when his predecessor resigned. He was one of the youngest governors in the country at the time. Huckabee was elected to a full four-year term as governor in 1998, attracting the largest percentage of the vote ever received by a Republican gubernatorial nominee in Arkansas, and was re-elected to another four-year term in November 2002. Huckabee first was elected lieutenant governor in a 1993 special election and was elected to a full four-year term in 1994. He was only the fourth Republican to be elected to statewide office since Reconstruction. A significant part of his early adult life was spent as a pastor and denominational leader. He became the youngest president ever of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, the largest denomination in Arkansas. Huckabee led rapidly growing congregations in Pine Bluff and Texarkana. He said those experiences gave him a deep sense of the problems faced by individuals and families. Huckabee's efforts to improve his own health have received national attention. Diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2003, he lost 110 pounds. Barely two years later, he had completed four marathons: The 2005 and 2006 Little Rock Marathons, the Marine Corps Marathon and the ING New York City Marathon. As a result of his accomplishments, The Road Runners Club of America named him its 'Southern Region Runner of the Year' and USA Track & Field has named him their 'Athlete of the Week' for the country. Continuing to call for a national emphasis on living a healthy lifestyle, Huckabee completed his fourth book, "Quit Digging Your Grave With A Knife and Fork." This 12-stop program is a no-nonsense approach to managing one's health through lifestyle change rather than a simple diet and exercise plan. Huckabee, 53, is an avid musician and is bass player in his rock-n-roll band, Capitol Offense, which has opened for artists such as Willie Nelson and the Charlie Daniels Band, and has played the House of Blues in New Orleans, the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, CO and for two presidential inauguration balls. He is featured each week in the musical segment of his Fox show with the Fox house band, "The Little Rockers." His hobbies include hunting, fishing, running, and music. He was named one of the 25 most influential people for conservation by Outdoor Life magazine, and has was named as Man of the Year by the American Sportfishing Association in 1997. The former governor and his wife, Janet, live in North Little Rock. They have three grown children: John Mark, David and Sarah.
Arianna Huffington Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of eleven books."Arianna Huffington is also co-host of "Left, Right & Center," public radio's popular political roundtable program. In May 2005, Arianna Huffington launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet. In 2006, Arianna Huffington was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
Jesse Jackson Reverend Jesse Jackson is one of America's foremost political figures. For more than thirty years he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, economic and social justice. A two-time presidential candidate and a leader in the fight against South African apartheid, he has been on the Gallup List of "Ten Most Respected Americans" for the past ten years. Reverend Jesse Jackson serves as president of the National Rainbow Coalition and is one of America's foremost political figures. Over the past three decades he has played a major role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality and economic and social justice. Rev. Jackson has been called the "conscience of the nation" and "the great unifier," challenging America to establish just and humane priorities and bringing people together on common ground across lines of race, class, gender and belief. Years before they were common positions, Rev. Jackson was advocating national health care, a war on drugs and peace negotiations with the Soviet Union and the Middle East. His strong stand against apartheid in South Africa in 1984 made it a forefront national issue. Rev. Jackson's two presidential campaigns broke new ground in U.S. politics. His 1984 campaign won 3.5 million votes, registered over a million new voters and helped the Democratic Party regain control of the Senate in 1986. His 1988 candidacy won seven million votes and registered two million new voters. His clear progressive agenda and his ability to build an unprecedented coalition inspired millions to join the political process. As a highly respected world leader, Rev. Jackson has acted many times as an international diplomat in sensitive situations. In 1984, he secured the release of captured Navy Lieutenant Robert Goodman from Syria, as well as the release of 48 Cuban and Cuban-American prisoners in 1987. He was the first American to bring hostages out of Kuwait and Iraq in 1990. Rev. Jackson was elected a U.S. Senator from Washington, D.C. in 1990, a position also known as "Statehood Shadow Senator." The office was created to advocate for statehood for Washington, D.C. A hallmark of Rev. Jackson's work has been his commitment to the youth. He has visited thousands of high schools, colleges and universities, encouraging excellence and challenging students to stay in school and away from drugs. He has also been a major force in the American labor movement, working with unions to organize workers, mediating labor disputes, walking picket lines and speaking at labor rallies. He has visited prisons, bringing comfort to the abandoned and discouraging recidivism. Rev. Jackson has received numerous honors for his work in human rights and social justice. In 1991, the U.S. Post Office placed his likeness on a pictorial postal cancellation, only the second living person to receive such an honor. He has been on the Gallup List of Ten Men Most Respected by Americans for 10 years. He has also received the prestigious NAACP Springarn Award and been awarded over 40 honorary degrees.
Major General John G. Castellaw Major General John G. Castellaw talks on “Iraq, Afghanistan and the Road Ahead in the Global War on Terrorism.” General Castellaw will provide a clear picture of the current situation in Iraq. He will provide insight into the rebuilding process and the road ahead in America’s fight against extremists in one of the most dynamic areas of the world.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a nationally known attorney, environmental activist, university professor and author. He serves as chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper Program; as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council; and as a clinical professor and supervising attorney at the Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University School of Law in New York. He is regarded as a pioneer in the area of municipal and government responsibility for environmental problems. Kennedy's reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of legal actions which include the prosecution of governmental agencies and industrial companies for polluting the Hudson River and Long Island Sound, winning settlements for the Hudson Riverkeeper, arguing cases to expand citizen access to the shoreline, and suing sewage treatment plants to force compliance with the Clean Water Act. Kennedy is credited with leading the fight to protect New York City's water supply. The New York City watershed agreement, which he negotiated of behalf of environmentalists across the state, is regarded as an international model in stakeholder consensus negotiations and sustainable development. On the national front, he was instrumental in helping defeat several anti-environmental bills during the 104th Congress. He has also worked to tackle environmental issues across the Americas and has assisted several indigenous tribes in Latin America and Canada in successfully negotiating treaties protecting traditional homelands. Although Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is known as an activist for environmental protection everywhere, he considers fighting pollution in the Hudson River a priority. In an interview with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Kennedy avowed that he would continue to fight pollution in the Hudson River, despite the many governmental barriers that have been erected to discourage the works of citizens who wish to hold polluting agencies accountable. Kennedy stated, "The Hudson is my backyard, and the primary obligation of anyone in the environmental community is to clean his or her own backyard first. Global reform starts with local reform." Earlier in his career, Kennedy served as assistant district attorney in New York City. He has worked on several presidential campaigns, including those of Edward M. Kennedy in 1980 and Al Gore in 2000. Kennedy is the author of numerous articles and three books, including Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., A Biography (1977), the New York State Apprentice Falconer's Manual, and his latest book, The Riverkeepers (1997), co-written with John Cronin. His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post, among other publications. Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University. He studied at the London School of Economics and received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. Following graduation he attended Pace University School of Law, where he was awarded a master's degree in environmental law. March 20, 2003 Quick LinksAcademics @ Guilford Academic Departments Academic Skills Center BannerWeb Certification Programs College Calendar Course Catalog Course Schedules First Year Program Guilford Writing Manual Library Study Abroad Programs What's Going On @ Guilford? Art Gallery Athletics Campus Life Guilfordian Guilford Buzz Local Events and Activities News Services Where Can I Find Help? Admission Information Adult Programs Campus Ministry Campus Map Employment Opportunities Information Technology International Student Info Office of College Relations Office of Public Safety Services & Administration Ways of Giving.
Martin King, III Son of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. he is the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Martin Luther King, III is founder of the civil rights organization, American United for Affirmative Action.
Dr. Henry Lee Dr. Henry C. Lee is one of the world’s foremost forensic scientists. Dr. Lee’s work has made him a landmark in modern-day criminal investigations. He has been a prominent player in many of the most challenging cases of the last 45 years. Dr. Lee has worked with law enforcement agencies in helping to solve more than 6000 cases. In recent years, his travels have taken him to England, Bosnia, China, Brunei, Bermuda, Middle East, South America and other locations around the world. Dr. Lee’s testimony figured prominently in the O. J. Simpson trial, and in convictions of the “Woodchipper” murderer as well as hundreds of other murder cases. Dr. Lee has assisted local and state police in their investigations of other famous crimes, such as the murder of Jon Benet Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado, the 1993 suicide of White House Counsel Vincent Foster, the murder of Chandra Levy, the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart and the reinvestigation of the Kennedy assassination. Dr. Lee is currently the Chief Emeritus for the Scientific Services and was the Commissioner of Public Safety for the State of Connecticut from 1998 to 2000 and served as Chief Criminalist for the State of Connecticut from 1979 to 2000. Dr. Lee was the driving force in establishing a modern State Police Forensic Science Laboratory in Connecticut. In 1975, Dr. Lee joined the University of New Haven, where he created the school’s Forensic Sciences program. He has also taught as a professor at more than a dozen universities, law schools, and medical schools. Though challenged with the demands on his time, Dr. Lee still lectures throughout the country and world to police, Universities and civic organizations. Dr. Lee has authored hundreds of articles in professional journals and has co-authored more than 30 books, covering the areas, such as; DNA, Fingerprints, Trace Evidence, Crime Scene Investigation and Crime scene reconstruction. His recent books; Famous Crimes Revisited, Cracking Cases and Blood Evidence have been well received by the public. Dr. Lee has been the recipient of numerous medals and awards, including the 1996 Medal of Justice from the Justice Foundation, and the 1998 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Science and Engineer Association. He has also been the recipient of the Distinguished Criminalist Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences; the J. Donero Award from the International Association of Identification, and in 1992 was elected a distinguished Fellow of the AAFS. Dr. Lee was born in China and grew up in Taiwan. Dr. Lee first worked for the Taipei Police Department, attaining the rank of Captain. With his wife, Margaret, Dr. Lee came to the United States in 1965, and he earned his B.S. in Forensic Science from John Jay College in 1972. Dr. Lee continued his studies in biochemistry at NYU where he earned his Masters Degree in 1974 and Ph.D. in 1975. He has also received special training from the FBI Academy, ATF, RCMP, and other organizations. He is a recipient of seven honorary Doctorate Degrees from Universities in recognition of his contributions to Law and Science.
Judge Greg Mathis Popular television judge who is featured on the nationally syndicated TV show "Judge Mathis". The youngest judge in Michigan history, Greg Mathis was a Michigan Superior Court Judge before the start of his television series. Mathis worked hard to win the judgeship in the city of Detroit. He had many obstacles to overcome. He had failed the Michigan bar exam once, and had been denied a license to practice law for several years after graduating from law school because of his criminal past. He had not accrued an extensive portfolio of legal work, and he was seen by the establishment as someone who lacked the necessary experience and insight to handle the hectic and heavy docket. Yet in 1995, he was elected a superior court judge for Michigan's 36th District, making him the youngest man in the state to hold the post. During the five years he was on the bench, he was rated in the top five of all judges in the 36th District; there are about thirty judges each year. He was trying to have a movie made about his youth when a partner was contacted by Blackpearl Productions about starting a television show. He has been hosting a television series, Judge Mathis, since 1999, in which he mediates disputes much like a real courtroom. In 2001, Mathis appeared in "1st Annual BET Awards" as himself. He also was a guest star as himself in the Steve Harvey show episode "Here Comes the Judge". Mathis has been parodied on Saturday Night Live by Tracy Morgan in the "Judge Horace" persona. At a rally commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Mathis said, "They (the Bush administration) all need to be locked up because they are all criminals and they are all thieves. It is indeed criminal to steal an election and within two years run up a federal deficit of half-a-trillion dollars, send our young people over to Iraq to die for an unjust war. What they are doing is criminal."
Michael Moore Michael Moore, director of the controversial films "Bowling for Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" and New York Times best-selling author of "Dude, Where's My Country?"
Joel C. Rosenberg Joel C. Rosenberg is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Jihad, The Last Days and The Ezekiel Option, with more than one million copies in print. As a communications strategist, he has worked with some of the world’s most influential leaders in business, politics and media, including Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As a novelist, he has been interviewed on more than 300 radio and TV programs, including ABC’s “Nightline,” CNN Headline News, Fox News Channel, The History Channel, MSNBC, the “Rush Limbaugh Show,” and the “Sean Hannity Show.” He has been profiled by the New York Times, Washington Times, and The Jerusalem Post, and was the subject of two cover stories in WORLD magazine. He has addressed audiences all over the world, including Russia, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and Belgium. He has spoken at the White House, The Heritage Foundation, AOL, and the International Spy Museum, as well as at dozens of conferences, universities, churches, synagogues, political events, bookseller conventions, and charitable fund-raisers. The first page of his first novel – The Last Jihad – puts you inside the cockpit of a hijacked jet, coming in on a kamikaze attack into an American city, which leads to a war with Saddam Hussein over weapons of mass destruction. Yet it was written before 9/11, and long before the actual war with Iraq. When published, The Last Jihad spent eleven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, reaching as high as #7. It raced up the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, hit #4 on the Wall Street Journal list and hit #1 on Amazon.com. His second thriller – The Last Days – opens with the death of Yasser Arafat and a U.S. diplomatic convoy ambushed in Gaza. Two weeks before The Last Days was published in hardcover, a U.S. diplomatic convoy was ambushed in Gaza. Thirteen months later, Yasser Arafat died. The Last Days spent four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, hit #5 on the Denver Post list, and #8 on the Dallas Morning News list. Both books have been optioned by a Hollywood producer. The Ezekiel Option centers on Russian dictator in Russia who forms a military alliance with the leaders of Iran who are feverishly pursuing nuclear weapons and threatening to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. On the very day it was published in June 2005, Iran elected a new leader who vowed to accelerate the country's nuclear program and later vowed to "wipe Israel off the map." Six months after it was published, Moscow signed a $1 billion arms deal with Tehran. The Ezekiel Option spent four weeks on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list and four months on the Christian Bookseller Association bestseller list. An evangelical Christian from an Orthodox Jewish background, Joel’s grandparents escaped Russian persecution of the Jews in the early part of the 20th century. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1989, and studied at Tel Aviv University. He is married, has four sons, and lives near Washington, D.C., where he and his wife are members of McLean Bible Church. WORLD magazine says The Last Days is “dramatic...good entertainment ...a New York Times bestseller with the gospel tucked inside.” The New York Times calls Rosenberg “a Washington success story.” Rush Limbaugh says The Last Jihad is “amazing…I could not put this book down…You have to read this.” Sean Hannity calls The Last Days “riveting to the point you can’t put it down - a heart-pounding, edge of your seat roller coaster ride.” The Jerusalem Post calls The Last Days “a fast-paced thriller, packed with the authentic details and behind-the-scenes tidbits that only a Washington insider such as Rosenberg could know…. screams ‘possible’ from every page.” U.S. News & World Report says Rosenberg’s novels are so close to reality he seems like a “modern Nostradamus.” CNN Headline News says “J.K. Rowling may be the writer of the moment for the young and the young at heart. But for many adults Joel Rosenberg is the ‘it author’ right now. Inside and outside the beltway in Washington, people are snatching up copies of his almost life-like terrorist suspense novels.”
Dennis Ross Ross is a distinguished fellow and counselor for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. For more than twelve years, Ross played the leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process and in dealing directly with the the parties in negotiations. A highly skilled diplomat, Ambassador Ross was this country's point man on the peace process in both the Bush and Clinton administrations. He was instrumental in assisting Israelis and Palestinians in reaching the 1995 Interim Agreement; he also successfully brokered the Hebron Accord in 1997, facilitated the Israeli-Jordan peace treaty, and intensively worked to bring Israel and Syria together. A scholar and diplomat with more than two decades of experience in Soviet and Middle Eastern policy, Ambassador Ross worked closely with Secretaries of State James Baker, Warren Christopher, and Madeleine Albright. Prior to his service as Special Middle East Coordinator under President Clinton, Ross served as director of the State Department's Policy Planning office in the first Bush administration. In that position, he played a prominent role in developing U.S. policy toward the former Soviet Union, the unification of Germany and its integration into NATO, arms control negotiations, and the development of the Gulf War coalition. He served as director of Near East and South Asian affairs on the National Security Council staff during the Reagan administration, and as deputy director of the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment.
Cindy Sheehan Cindy Sheehan who became a prominent American anti-Iraq War activist after the death of her son, Casey Sheehan, during his service in Iraq. She attracted international attention in August 2005 for her extended demonstration at a peace camp outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch. She is sometimes referred to by the media as the "Peace Mom".
Mable Thomas Known throughout the country as "Able Mable," Mable Thomas was one of the youngest women to be elected to the Georgia State Assembly where she served from 1985 to 1993. She is currently serving a four year term as councilwoman on the Atlanta City Council. A truly concerned public servant and a role model for the youth of America, she is committed to youth, housing, economic development, women's issues, community awareness and participation.
Maisa and Marina...... Unlikely Partners in Peace Unlikely Partners in Peace Maisa and Marina are two young women, a Jewish Israeli and a Palestinian Israeli, who met through a Slifka Coexistence Fellowship at Brandeis University. They have not only become close friends but they have also done wide-ranging work in promoting coexistence in their communities through facilitating Arab-Jewish dialogue, working with women peace activists, and speaking to a wide range of audiences. Throughout their presentation Maisa and Marina share their experiences of growing up in Israel while stressing the similarities and differences of the political and social realities faced by Israelis and Palestinians in the region. Maisa and Marina emphasize both the importance of coexistence work and the significance of their personal process of facing fears and breaking stereotypes about the other side. The goal of the presentation is not to promote a political agenda but rather to share and express personal perspectives and to encourage the audience to engage in mutual listening and understanding.
Stuart Varney A legend in business journalism, this Peabody-award winning economist is one of the most respected names in financial reporting. Varney, now with Fox News, joined CNN upon its founding in 1980. His broad range of expertise offers an insider’s view of the latest economic trends and news headlines, unraveling the complexities of the business world, from Wall Street to Main Street. Varney’s talk will encompass the most pressing developments in domestic and international business and the advantages--and--dangers of the new global economy. He helps audiences benefit from the fluctuations in the financial markets and make better decisions regarding investments, real estate, retirement, taxes and family finance.
John Walsh A tireless advocate for victims’ rights and missing children, John Walsh has turned his passion for justice into the nation's number-one crime-fighting show, FOX’s America's Most Wanted. Then, from 2002 to February, 2004, NBC daytime aired The John Walsh Show; a new platform for Walsh to comment on current events and issues that are of concern to him. Walsh is no stranger to violent crime; in fact, his incredibly successful career as a host of a nationally televised program, and as an advocate for victims’ rights, was a career Walsh never anticipated. In the summer of 1981, Walsh was a partner in a hotel management company in Hollywood, Florida. He was living the American dream. He and his wife, Revé, had a beautiful six-year-old son, Adam, the joy of their lives. They never thought crime could touch them. But that joy was shattered on July 27th, 1981, when Adam was abducted and later found murdered. The Walshes have never received the closure that America's Most Wanted has brought the lives of so many crime victims. The prime suspect in Adam's murder, Ottis Toole, was never charged in the Adam Walsh case; he died in prison while serving life for other crimes, taking the truth to the grave with him. The story of the Walsh family's tragedy has been dramatized in the 1983 NBC television movie, Adam, and a 1986 sequel, Adam: His Song Continues. Following the airing of the broadcasts, a roll of missing children was featured, leading to the recovery of 65 youngsters. It wasn't long after Adam's death that the Walshes turned their grief into positive energy to help missing and exploited children. Battling bureaucratic resistance and legislative nightmares, John and Revé's work led to the passage of the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children's Assistance Act of 1984. The latter Bill founded the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which maintains a toll-free hotline number (1-800-THE-LOST) to report a missing child or the sighting of one. In their son's memory, they also founded the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to legislative reform. Recently, the centers, originally located in West Palm Beach, Florida, Columbia, South Carolina, Orange County, California, and Rochester, New York, merged with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Walsh serves on the board of directors of the National Center. Back in 1984, Esquire Magazine voted John Walsh "one of the best of the new generation." Since then, Walsh's endless quest for justice has been trumpeted across the pages of newspapers and magazines around the nation including The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and People Magazine, where Walsh was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People for 1996. And CBS portraits named him one of the 100 Americans Who Changed History. Walsh’s life has also been chronicled on A & E’s Biography program as well as on MSNBC’s Headliners and Legends with Matt Lauer. Law Enforcement officials around the nation have also honored Walsh for his efforts. In 1988 he was named the U.S. Marshals Man Of The Year, and two years later received the same honor from the FBI " the Bureau's highest civilian award. The U.S. Marshals also made Walsh an Honorary US Marshal in 2003 – an honor only bestowed upon seven other people in the agency’s history. Walsh has received hundreds of other honors, including the 1984 Father of the Year Award from the National Father's Day Committee. Walsh is the only private citizen to receive a Special Recognition Award by a U.S. Attorney General, and he's been honored in the Rose Garden four times by three presidents: Clinton, Bush (Sr.), and Reagan (twice). Today, Walsh continues his lobbying efforts, testifying before Congress and state legislatures on crime, missing children and victims' issues. His latest efforts include lobbying for a Constitutional Amendment for victims' rights.
Xu Wenli One of China's most recognized pro-democracy advocates, Mr. Xu spent 16 years in prison for his activities as a dissident. He was a leader in the Democracy Wall movement from 1979 to 1981, edited the samizdat-style journal April Fifth Forum, and played a major role in establishing the Beijing-Tianjin branch of the China Democracy Party. Mr. Xu's health suffered while in prison. In reaction to his declining condition, international human rights groups, the U.S. ambassador to China, and Western officials called for his release. The Chinese government finally relented and released him on medical grounds in December 2002. He and his wife left China immediately for the United States to be reunited with their daughter, Xu Jin, who lives in Rhode Island.
Brian Williams Each night on NBC's all-news and information channel MSNBC and on CNBC, Williams anchors the only primetime news hour, The News with Brian Williams. Relying on the worldwide resources of NBC News, the program has quickly become a news pioneer with its in-depth coverage of the hard news of the day, interviews with the world's newsmakers, and a first-hand look at the next day's morning headlines.