PAST EVENTS
The Changing of the Political Landscape
The Common good hosted a discussion with Governor John Lynch on “The Changing Political Landscape” and the ramifications of the toxic political environment in his race and around the nation.
The Common good hosted a discussion with Governor John Lynch on “The Changing Political Landscape” and the ramifications of the toxic political environment in his race and around the nation.
During his time serving as the 80th Governor of New Hampshire in 2005, Governor John Lynch focused on working across party lines to make New Hampshire a place of opportunity for all of its citizens. Lynch has worked with Democrats and Republicans to make kindergarten available to every child, to cut New Hampshire’s high school dropout rate in half, pass the toughest laws in the nation to protect children from sexual predators, to reduce spending by making government more efficient and build the economy by making it easier for companies to retain and hire new workers, increasing job training and providing tax credits for research and development.
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Meet & Greet: Bobby Sager
The Common Good hosted a lunch and discussion with Bobby Sager on his life as a international businessman and his travels around the world.
The Common Good hosted a lunch and discussion with Bobby Sager on his life as a international businessman and his travels around the world.
A tough-minded businessman who made a fortune by following his passion, Bobby Sager has spent the last decade of his life traveling around the globe giving away his money and using his entrepreneurial and street smarts to make whatever difference he can – in some of the worst areas on the planet. His is a life of extremes. On any given day you might find Bobby living in a tent in Karachi, sharing a toilet with 40 monks in the Himalayas, working alongside President Kagame in Rwanda, or discussing science education with the Dalai Lama in India.
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Screening and Discussion of 'The Most Dangerous Man in America' and the Panama Papers with Daniel Ellsberg
Daniel Ellsberg, the man who altered the history of Vietnam War with the release of the Pentagon Papers was on hand for a screening of the condensed version if the award-winning documentary, The Most Dangerous Man in America, and for the a lively Q&A. Also with us for our discussion, the film producers, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith.
Daniel Ellsberg, the man who altered the history of the Vietnam War with the release of the Pentagon Papers, was on hand for a screening of the condensed version of the award-winning documentary, The Most Dangerous Man in America, accompanied with a lively Q&A. Also with us for our discussion were the film producers Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith.
The film is a riveting look at a defining moment in American history when, Daniel Ellsberg, then a RAND Corporation employee and a Pentagon Analyst, made the decision at the great risk to his own life and liberty to release the classified report exposing details of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam to The New York Times and other newspapers. The Pentagon Papers revealed that our government had knowledge early on that the war would be an unlikely win, and that continuing the war would lead to many more casualties.
Daniel Ellsberg worked on the top secret McNamara study of U.S. Decision-making in Vietnam, 1945-1968, which later came to be known as the Pentagon Papers. In 1969, he photocopied the 7,000 page study and gave it to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; in 1971 he gave it to The New York Times, The Washington Post and 17 other newspapers. His trial, on twelve felony counts posing a possible sentence of 115 years, was dismissed in 1973 on grounds of governmental misconduct against him, which led to the convictions of several White House aides and contributed to the impeachment proceedings against President Nixon.
Judith Ehrlich is a producer and director, known for The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009), The Good War and Those Who Refused to Fight It (2000) and P.O.V. (1988). (2)
Rick Goldsmith is a producer and writer, known for The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009), Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw (2015) and Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press (1996). (3)
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Screening and Discussion with: Robert Greenwald and Jim Miller
The Common Good was proud to present a special screening of Robert Greenwald’s new documentary Rethink Afghanistan
The Common Good was proud to present a special screening of Robert Greenwald’s new documentary Rethink Afghanistan about the US military presence in Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks. Jim Miller, the Executive Director of Brave New Films joins Greenwald in discussion of the film.
Robert Greenwald is the president of Brave New Foundation as well as being a producer, director and political activist. Greenwald is the director/producer of several documentaries: “Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers” (2006), “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” (2005), and “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War of Journalism” (2004). He also executive produced a trilogy of political documentaries: “Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election” (2002); “Uncovered: The Iraq War” (2003), which Greenwald also directed; and “Unconstitutional” (2004). His films have garnered 25 EMMY Award nominations, four Cable ACE awards nomination, two Golden Globes, the Peabody Award, the Robert Wood Johnson Award and eight awards of excellence from the Film Advisory Board. In 2002 Greenwald was awarded the 2002 Producer of the Year Award by the American Film Institute.
Jim Miller is the Executive Director for Brave New Foundation. He joined the company when the Foundation was initially formed by putting together the coalition of over 100 groups (including Amnesty International, MoveOn True Majority, and Voters For Peace) to push their unique system of distributuion and house screenings for Iraq For Sale. Since then Jim has strengthened their distribution coalition so that their short videos now get 1.5 million views per month. His film experience began over 20 years ago working on the film Bull Durham and includes being the Director of Development for The Shooting Gallery, an independent film company which produced ‘Sling Blade’ and ‘You Can Count on Me’, and Head of Acquisitions for Cinema Park Distribution.
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Meet & Greet: Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes
The Common Good was proud to present Redefining the Role of the Public Prosecutor: Reform through Creative Solutions with Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes
The Common Good was proud to present Redefining the Role of the Public Prosecutor: Reform through Creative Solutions with Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. The speaker was introduced by Patricia Gatling and the program was convened by Arthur Eisenberg.
Joe Hynes was born and raised in Brooklyn. Starting in 1963 Hynes worked for the Legal Aid Society as an associate attorney before joining the Kings County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney in 1969. In 1971, Hynes was appointed as Chief of the Rackets Bureau and was named First Assistant District Attorney in 1973.
Patricia Gatling is the Commissioner and Chair of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. She is in charge of enforcing the Human Rights Law and combating discrimination in New York City. She also worked as a senior trainer with John Jay College, teaching '“Human Dignity and the Law” in newly emerging democratic countries, such as Botswana and Thailand. Previously, Ms. Gatling served as First Assistant District Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. She is an active participant in community outreach programs and a widely respected speaker. For her unending public service, Ms. Gatling has received numerous awards throughout her illustrious career.
Arthur Eisenberg is the Legal Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union where he has worked for more than 35 years. During that time he has been involved in more than 20 cases that were presented to the United States Supreme Court. He has litigated extensively around issues of free speech and voting rights and has been increasingly involved in litigation concerning national security and civil liberties. Eisenberg is the co-author, with Burt Neuborne, of the Rights of Candidates and Voters and has published numerous law review articles. Art Eisenberg contributed and an essay on issues of faith and conscience in the book Engaging Cultural Differences, and an essay on military tribunals for the book It’s a Free Country.
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Lunch and Discussion with: NY Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly
The Common Good was proud to present Crime, Counterterrorism, Community Affairs with NY Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly
The Common Good was proud to present Crime, Counterterrorism, Community Affairs with NY Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. The speaker was introduced by Paul Beirne and was convened by Felicia Taylor.
Raymond W. Kelly was appointed Police Commissioner of the City of New York by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, making Commissioner Kelly the first person to hold the post for a second, separate tenure. Commissioner Kelly was formerly Senior Managing Director, Global Corporate Security, at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. Before that, he served as Commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service, where he managed the agency’s 20,000 employees and $20 billion in annual revenue. For his accomplishments at Customs, Commissioner Kelly was awarded the Alexander Hamilton Medal for Exceptional Service.
Paul Beirne is a principal in New York City based Bernstein Wealth Management, a unit of AllianceBernstein. The firm manages over $500 billion for individuals, families, pension plans, unions, foundations, public funds and other entities. In addition to his business activities, Beirne is active on several charitable boards and carries out a number of committee assignments, including the World Monuments Fund, Santa Clara University Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, the Municipal Art Society (Vice Chair) and the Alliance for the Arts (Chairman 2000-2005).
Felicia Taylor was the co-host of Retirement Living TV’s Daily Cafe up until November 2008. She has returned to CNN and currently presents Business News reports for CNN.com’s live video feed. Previously, Taylor was a CNBC business news anchor and a correspondent for CNN. She served as weekend anchor on WNBC-TV in New York, and also worked at the Financial News Network, the Financial Times, and CNBC as co-anchor of Today’s Business and Market Watch.
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Breakfast and Discussion with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
The Common Good was proud to present The Economy, the Stimulus Package and How to get the Economy back on Track with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
The Common Good was proud to present The Economy, the Stimulus Package and How to get the Economy back on Track with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. The speaker was introduced by Maurice Sonnenberg and was convened by Stuart Sundlun.
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland is a strong advocate of Democrats’ policies to strengthen America’s middle class, its economy, and its national security. In response to the recession, Congressman Hoyer helped lead House passage of investments and tax cuts that non-partisan experts say are responsible for 3 million jobs. He is also spearheading the Make It In America agenda, a plan to rebuild American manufacturing and its well-paying jobs. He made crucial contributions to the passage of legislation to expand access to affordable health care to all Americans, as well as new common-sense rules to rein in Wall Street excesses and protect consumers while upholding the free market.
Maurice Sonnenberg is the Senior International Advisor at the investment banking firm of JPMorgan and a Senior International Advisor to the law firm of Greenberg Traurig. He has been an advisor in the fields of foreign policy, international trade, finance and intelligence to five Presidential Administrations. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations where he served on the Council’s Independent Task Force on Terrorist Financing, and is presently on the Foreign Affairs magazine Advisory Board. Among his awards is the Order of the Mexican Aztec Eagle (Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca) in 2001, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Stuart Sundlun is a Managing Director of BMB Advisors, a merchant banking group focusing on the Emerging Markets. In addition to private equity, BMB has created ShARE, which provides access for Islamic Sharia investors to leading alternative asset managers. Mr. Sundlun was one of the founders and serves as Board Member of The Dignity Fund which makes micro finance loans in developing countries. Active in business ventures in Russia since 1994, he currently serves on the board of South Oil. He was an unofficial advisor to his father, the Honorable Bruce Sundlun, during his five campaigns for Governor of Rhode Island.
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The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama with Gwen Ifill
The Common Good was proud to host a lunch and discussion with Gwen Ifill, author of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama On. Ifill was introduced by Susan Fales-Hill, an award winning writer and television producer and the program was convened by Gail Sheehy, a cultural observer and bestselling author whose landmark work.
The Common Good was proud to host a lunch and discussion with Gwen Ifill, author of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. Ifill was introduced by Susan Fales-Hill, an award winning writer and television producer, and the program was convened by Gail Sheehy, a cultural observer and bestselling author whose landmark work.
In The Breakthrough, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama’s stunning presidential victory and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power.
Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960’s. She offers incisive, detailed profiles of such prominent leaders as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and U.S. Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama (all interviewed for this book), and also covers numerous up-and-coming figures from across the nation. Drawing on exclusive interviews with power brokers such as President Obama, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, his son Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., and many others, as well as her own razor-sharp observations and analysis of such issues as generational conflict, the race/ gender clash, and the "black enough" conundrum, Ifill shows why this is a pivotal moment in American history.
Gwen Ifill was a moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. She was also the best-selling author of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama. Ifill reported on a wide range of issues from foreign affairs to U.S. politics and policies interviewing national and international news-makers. She covered six Presidential campaigns and moderated two vice presidential debates. Ifill has received more than 20 honorary doctorates and served on the boards of the News Literacy Project, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and she is a fellow with the American Academy of Sciences.
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Our Environmental Destinies with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Common Good was lucky to host Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who spoke on our environmental destiny and how the actions of humans is affect the planet. This event was introduced by Representative Carolyn Maloney and the program was convened by Ed Coz.
The Common Good was lucky to host Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who spoke on our environmental destiny and how the actions of humans is affect the planet. This event was introduced by Representative Carolyn Maloney and the program was convened by Ed Coz.
Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr., is an American radio host, activist, and attorney specializing in environmental law. He is the nephew of John F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. Kennedy co-hosts Ring of Fire, a nationally syndicated American radio program. He has written two books and several articles on environmental issues. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, The Nation, Outside magazine, and The Village Voice.
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2008 Democratic National Convention Panel
The Hispanic Institute and The Common Good gathered for a post gavel celebration, co-hosted by Rick Hernandez, Patricia Duff and Chevy Chase following an earlier bipartisan panel discussion exploring common ground issues
The Hispanic Institute and The Common Good gathered for a post gavel celebration, co-hosted by Rick Hernandez, Patricia Duff and Chevy Chase, which followed an earlier bipartisan panel discussion exploring common ground issues such as the role of race, gender, ethnicity, religion and values in the Fall Campaign. The event was moderated by Dan Abrams with Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Harold Ford Jr., Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Dee Dee Myers, Markos Moulitsas, Faye Wattleton, Richard Wolffe, and Tucker Carlson.
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Meet & Greet: Kevin Phillips
The Common Good hosted a lunch and discussion with Kevin Phillips for a meet and greet. He provided members with a rich historical perspective, penetrating, independent insight, and an uncommonly articulate voice on the major issues.
The Common Good hosted a lunch and discussion with Kevin Phillips for a meet and greet. He provided members with a rich historical perspective, penetrating, independent insight, and an uncommonly articulate voice on the major issues.
Kevin Phillips is an American writer and commentator on politics, economics, and history. Phillips was a strategist on voting patterns for Richard Nixon’s 1968 campaign, which was the basis for a book, The Emerging Republican Majority, which predicted a conservative realignment in national politics, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential recent works in political science. His predictions regarding shifting voting patterns in presidential elections proved accurate, though they did not extend “down ballot” to Congress until the Republican revolution of 1994. Phillips also was partly responsible for the design of the Republican “Southern strategy” of the 1970s and 1980s.
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The Crisis We Don't Like to Talk About with Pete Peterson
The Common Good hosted Pete Peterson for a lunch discussion about the 2008 financial crisis. He raised awareness of America’s long-term fiscal challenges and promote solutions to ensure a better economic future.
The Common Good hosted Pete Peterson for a lunch discussion about the 2008 financial crisis. He raised awareness of America’s long-term fiscal challenges and promote solutions to ensure a better economic future.
Pete Peterson is founder and chairman of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness of America’s long-term fiscal challenges and promoting solutions to ensure a better economic future. The Foundation works with leading thinkers, policy experts, elected officials, and the public to build support for efforts to put America on a fiscally sustainable path. Prior to starting the Foundation, Pete spent more than 50 years working in business and public service.
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Meet & Greet: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney
The Common Good was proud to host Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney to discuss her extensive accomplishments on security, financial services, the economy and women’s issues.
The Common Good was proud to host Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney to discuss her extensive accomplishments on security, financial services, the economy and women’s issues.
First elected to Congress in 1992, Carolyn B. Maloney is a recognized national leader with extensive accomplishments on financial services, national security, the economy, and women’s issues. Rep. Maloney’s career has been a series of firsts. She is the first woman to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District; the first woman to represent New York City’s 7th Councilmanic district (where she was the first woman to give birth while in office); and was the first woman to Chair the Joint Economic Committee, a House and Senate panel that examines and addresses the nation’s most pressing economic issues. Only 18 women in history have chaired Congressional committees.
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Pakistans's Role in Regional and Global Stability with Ambassador Munir Akram
The Common Good and The Pluralism Fund hosted an evening of conversation with Ambassador Munir Akram on Pakistan’s role in regional and global stability to provide his point of view as a permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations. This event was moderated by Brian Katulis.
The Common Good and The Pluralism Fund hosted an evening of conversation with Ambassador Munir Akram on Pakistan’s role in regional and global stability to provide his point of view as a permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations. This event was moderated by Brian Katulis.
Munir Akram was the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations from 2002 to 2008. He has represented Pakistan in numerous United Nations bodies and international conferences, including the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. At the UN, he was twice the President of the Security Council (May 2003 and May 2004); President of the Economic and Social Council (2005); Chairperson of the Working Party on the Accession of Saudi Arabia to WTO (2005); and Co-Chair for UN Management Reform (2005).
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Meet & Greet: Paul Begala
The Common Good was honored to host Counselor Paul Begala for a lunch and discussion on his insights on the upcoming presidential election of 2008.
The Common Good was honored to host Counselor Paul Begala for a lunch and discussion on his insights on the upcoming presidential election of 2008.
Paul Edward Begala is an American political consultant and political commentator. He was an adviser to President Bill Clinton and a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, which carried 33 states and made Clinton the first Democrat to win the White House in twelve years. As counselor to the President in the Clinton White House, he coordinated policy, politics, and communications.
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The State of the Economy and the Global Outlook with Bob Hormats
The Common Good was proud to host Bob Hormats for a lunch and discussion on the state of the economy and the global outlook. The program was introduced by Peter Borish and was convened by Stephanie French.
The Common Good was proud to host Bob Hormats for a lunch and discussion on the state of the economy and the global outlook. The program was introduced by Peter Borish and was convened by Stephanie French.
Robert D. ‘Bob’ Hormats was sworn in as Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs on September 23, 2009. Hormats was formerly Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs (International). He joined Goldman Sachs in 1982. He served as Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary, from 1977 to 1979, and Assistant Secretary of State, from 1981 to 1982, at the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (now Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs).
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Meet & Greet: Governor Mark Warner
The Common Good was honored to host Governor Mark Warner for a lunch and discussion on the US government and ‘fixing the broken system’. The event was introduced by Somers Farkas, a cultural affairs consultant and philanthropist and was convened by Matt Gohd, Principal Managing Director with Pali Capital.
The Common Good was honored to host Governor Mark Warner for a lunch and discussion on the US government and ‘fixing the broken system’. The event was introduced by Somers Farkas, a cultural affairs consultant and philanthropist and was convened by Matt Gohd, Principal Managing Director with Pali Capital.
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving as the junior United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of the Forward Together PAC. Warner delivered the keynote address before the nation at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Mark Warner’s experience as a congressional staffer and Democratic Party fundraiser in the 1980s prompted his involvement in telecommunications venture capital; he founded the firm Columbia Capital.
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The Primaries and the Presidential Election
The Common Good hosted a lunch panel of expert to discuss the primaries and the presidential election. This panel consisted of: Jonathan Alter, Kellyanne Conway, Mark J. Green, Joel Benson and was moderated by Cynthia McFadden. This program was convened by William Hubbard, Chairman and President of Center Development Corporation, and underwritten with the generosity of Peter Worth.
Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, reporter, columnist and television analyst from Chicago.For a decade in the 1980s, Alter was Newsweek’s media critic, where he was among the first in the mainstream media to break tradition and hold other news organizations accountable for their coverage, a precursor to the role later played by blogs. In total, he spent 28 years at Newsweek, where he was a longtime senior editor and wrote hundreds of columns and features on a wide variety of subjects. He is also an analyst and contributing correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. His 2010 book, “The Promise: President Obama, Year One,” was #4 on the New York Times Nonfiction Bestseller List and was one of the Times’ “Notable Books” of the year. “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope,” published in 2006 was also a bestseller.
Kellyanne Conway is an American pollster, political consultant, and pundit. Previously she held roles as campaign manager and strategist in the Republican Party and was former president and CEO of The Polling Company, Inc./Woman Trend. In 2016, she was appointed as Trump’s campaign manager and now serves as a counselor in his presidential administration. Within polling, Conway is one of the most quoted and noted pollsters on the national scene, having provided commentary on over 1,200 television shows on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, HBO, Comedy Central, MTV and the Fox News Channel, and numerous radio shows and print stories. Throughout her two decades in market research, Conway has provided primary research and advice for clients in 46 of the 50 states and has directed hundreds of demographic and attitudinal survey projects for statewide and congressional political races, trade associations, and Fortune 100 companies.
Mark Green was a public interest lawyer, working with Ralph Nader from 1970 to 1980, ultimately as director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch. He founded and ran The Democracy Project in NYC from 1981 to 2014. Green served for 11 years in citywide offices, first as the Commissioner of Consumer Affairs under Mayor David Dinkins (1990 to 1993); then as the twice-elected Public Advocate (1993 and 1997), before narrowly losing the mayorality to Michael Bloomberg in 2001. (3)
Joel Benenson is the founder and CEO of Benenson Strategy Group, and the only Democratic pollster in history to have played a leading role in three winning presidential campaigns. Joel has been the chief pollster, chief campaign strategist for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, a senior strategist for President Barack Obama beginning with his 2008 campaign, and worked on President Bill Clinton’s polling team during the 1996 race.oel’s corporate clients have included CEOs and top executives at Campbell Soup Company, HBO, Toyota, the NFL, Procter & Gamble, Panera Bread Co., Hearst, Blue Star Energy, and MSNBC. In the advocacy and nonprofit sector, he has worked with leading institutions including AARP, League of Conservation Voters, SEIU, Clean Energy Works and Grocery Manufacturers of America.
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(3) Material from the Bright Infinite Future website.
Meet & Greet: Senator Arlen Specter
The Common Good hosted a breakfast and discussion with Senator Arlen Specter on the stem cell research, S-Chip (expansion of health care coverage for children), controversial judiciary committee business regarding Guantanamo, FISA and surveillance issues and other hot button national issues.
The Common Good hosted a breakfast and discussion with Senator Arlen Specter on the stem cell research, S-Chip (expansion of health care coverage for children), controversial judiciary committee business regarding Guantanamo, FISA and surveillance issues and other hot button national issues.
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009. First elected in 1980, he represented his state for thirty years in the Senate. Specter is a moderate who staked out a spot in the political center. Specter served as assistant counsel for the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy and helped devise the “single bullet theory.” In 1965, Specter was elected District Attorney of Philadelphia, a position that he would hold until he lost his re-election bid in 1973.
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The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America with Ronald Brownstein
The Common Good was proud to host Ronald Brownstein for a breakfast and discussion on his book' ‘The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America’. The meeting was convened by Peter Borish.
The Common Good was proud to host Ronald Brownstein for a breakfast and discussion on his book' ‘The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America’. The meeting was convened by Peter Borish.
In recent years American politics has seemingly become much more partisan, more zero-sum, more vicious, and less able to confront the real problems our nation faces. What has happened?
In The Second Civil War, respected political commentator Ronald Brownstein diagnoses the electoral, demographic, and institutional forces that have wreaked such change over the American political landscape, pulling politics into the margins and leaving precious little common ground for compromise. The Second Civil War is not a book for Democrats or Republicans but for all Americans who are disturbed by our current political dysfunction and hungry for ways to understand it—and move beyond it.
Ronald Brownstein, a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of presidential campaigns, is National Journal Group’s Editorial Director, in charge of long-term editorial strategy. He also writes a weekly column and regularly contributes other pieces for both National Journal and The Atlantic, and coordinates political coverage and activities across publications produced by Atlantic Media. Brownstein also writes for 2012 Decoded.
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The Common Good has been hosting events since 2006 that cover important issues of today, highlighting speakers who have worked to bolster our democracy and can provide great insight on the issues that matter.