Obama administration topic of CNN commentator's talk
CNN commentator David Gergen will present "The Obama administration, Congress and the 2010 Midterm Elections" during the first Celebrating Arts and Ideas event of the 2010-2011 season at Aurora University.
Gergen will speak at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at AU. The program is free to the public in Crimi Auditorium at the Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Call (630) 844-4924, e-mail artsandideas@aurora.edu or visit AUartsandideas.com.
A trusted adviser to four presidents and both political parties, Gergen offers a bipartisan analysis of the American political scene. He serves as senior political analyst for CNN, editor-at-large of U.S. News & World Report and professor of public service at The John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
An editor, teacher, public servant, best-selling author and adviser to presidents for 30 years, Gergen has been an active participant in American national life. He served as director of communications for President Reagan and held positions in the administrations of Presidents Nixon and Ford.
In 1993, he put his country before politics when he agreed to first serve as counselor to President Clinton on both foreign policy and domestic affairs, then as special international adviser to the president and to Secretary of State Warren Christopher.
Gergen served as moderator of "World @ Large," a 13-part PBS discussion series for two seasons. In 2000, he published the best-selling book "Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton." He is currently working on a book that focuses on presidential transitions.
From 1984 to 1993, Gergen worked mostly as a journalist. He also was editor of U.S. News. Working with the owner and Editor-in-chief Mortimer Zuckerman and a revived staff, he helped guide the magazine to record gains in circulation and advertising. During that period, he also teamed up with Mark Shields for political commentary every Friday night for five years on the "MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour." The two were a popular political team and won numerous accolades for their political coverage.