Rick Wilson

Rick Wilson is a longtime Republican political strategist, infamous negative ad-maker, and commentator. He has successfully worked for numerous GOP campaigns including, presidential, senate, mayoral and gubernatorial. Since 2015, he's been a leading conservative critic of Donald Trump. He went on to co-found The Lincoln Project, a group of Republican and conservative leaders who are critical and oppose Donald Trump. 

A pioneer of and leader in the Never-Trump movement, Wilson released the best-selling Everything Trump Touches Dies in August 2018. In the book, Wilson brings his dark humor and biting analysis to confront the absurdity of American politics in the Age of Trump. He mercilessly takes down Trump and exposes the damage Trump has done to the country, to the Republican Party Wilson served for decades, and to the conservative movement that has abandoned its principles for the worst president in American history.

Wilson writes several opinions and columns for newspapers like The Daily Beast, Politico, and The Federalist. 

Rick Wilson participated in the 2020 Post-Election Roundup with Charlie Cook, Jonathan Capehart and Al Franken. After approximately two years, $14 billion and countless hours of attention, the 2020 campaign has finally come to a close. Rick Wilson was a part of the historic panel to discuss Joe Biden winning the presidency and President Trump is still contesting the results.

Al Franken

Al Franken

Politician & Comedian

Al Franken is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota. He gained notoriety for his work on Saturday Night Live.

After leaving SNL, Franken went on to become a political activist including hosting a radio show, offering commentary and insights and writing several books. He supported military members and often worked on entertaining soldiers. He decided to run for the Senate and win. While in the Senate he supported same-sex marriage, abortion rights, and gun control. In addition, Franken was active in health care reform and fought to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. 

After leaving the Senate, he now hosts his own radio program The Al Franken Show on SeriousXM which covers global affairs, politics, the 2020 presidential election, and entertainment. 

Al Franken participated in the 2020 Post-Election Roundup with Charlie Cook, Jonathan Capehart and Rick Wilson. After approximately two years, $14 billion and countless hours of attention, the 2020 campaign has finally come to a close. Al Franken was a part of the historic panel to discuss Joe Biden winning the presidency and President Trump is still contesting the results.

Barton Gellman

Barton Gellman is a highly respected and much-honored author and journalist, a staff writer at The Atlantic, and Senior Fellow at the Century Foundation in New York. His awards include the Pulitzer Prize, an Emmy for documentary filmmaking, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

His recent articles from The Atlantic have been widely praised for the cogent look at the turmoil and chaos that could erupt from the 2020 election. 

Gellman is responsible for many important stories. He led The Washington Post's coverage of the U.S. National Security Agency, which was based in large measure on top-secret documents provided to him by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden. He published a book for Penguin Press on the rise of the surveillance-industrial state in May 2020.

Gellman joined TCG on Wednesday October 28th, 2020 for “The Election that Could Break America”, a discussion about what to expect after the 2020 Biden-Trump election. The event was moderated by Tom Rogers, the founder of CNBC and a CNBC contributor. 

Hilary Rosen

Hilary Rosen

Strategist

Hilary Rosen is a well-known strategist who effectively navigates the worlds of media, communications, business and politics. She is Vice Chair of the award-winning public affairs agency SKDKnickerbocker and an on-air CNN analyst.

Hilary formerly served as chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the leading trade association of America’s record companies. She became the first Washington editor-at-large and political director of The Huffington Post.

Throughout her career, Hilary has regularly been featured on power lists in a variety of sectors, including The New York Post’s Ladies Who Launch Entertainment Trends, Entertainment Weekly’s Annual Power List, The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 50 Women, The Washington Post’s Power 20 and National Journal’s Power Women in Washington. Hilary previously worked as Chief of Staff for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, as an assistant to New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne has been an advisor to many elected officials over the years.

Hilary Rosen participated in the Post Vice Presidential Debate Panel on October 8, 2020. Rosen was joined by Greenberg, Setmayer and Percio to have an incredible conversation and to analyze the historic evening.

Tara Setmayer

Tara Setmayer

Political Commentator

Tara Setmayer is a CNN Political Commentator, Contributor to ABC News and former GOP Communications Director on Capitol Hill. She is currently the host of the "Honestly Speaking with Tara" podcast. Tara regularly appears on CNN's prime time programs and contributes to ABC's The View, Good Morning America, and Nightline.

In 2017, Tara was named as a Board Director for Stand Up Republic, a non profit organization formed in the wake of the 2016 election of Donald Trump to unite Americans behind the defense of democratic norms, ideals and institutions.

During her time as a senior congressional staffer, Tara successfully led the national effort to free unjustly imprisoned Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean through a presidential commutation issued by President George W. Bush on his last working day in office.  In addition to her communications duties, Setmayer handled policy issues on immigration and federal law enforcement.

Tara Setmayer participated in the Post Vice Presidential Debate Panel on October 8, 2020. Setmayer was joined by Greenberg, Rosen and Percio to have an incredible conversation and to analyze the historic evening.

Stanley Greenberg

Stanley Greenberg

Political Strategist

Stanley Greenberg is a New York Times best-selling author and polling adviser to presidents, prime ministers and CEOs globally and right now, is conducting deep research in multiple countries. He was the senior pollster for President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and President Nelson Mandela. Greenberg's corporate clients include Boeing, BP, Microsoft, and other global companies.

He has been described as "the father of modern polling techniques," "the De Niro of all political consultants," and "an unrivaled international 'guru.'" Esquire Magazine named him one of the most important people of the 21st century. Republican pollster Frank Luntz says, "Stan Greenberg scares the hell out of me. He doesn't just have a finger on the people's pulse; he's got an IV injected into it. He's the best."

Greenger participated in the Post Vice Presidential Debate Panel on October 8, 2020. Greenberg was joined by Setmayer, Rosen and Percio to have an incredible conversation and to analyze the historic evening.

Ret. Colonel Christopher Kolenda

Christopher Kolenda

Retired Army Colonel

Ret. Colonel Christopher Kolenda recently served as the Senior Advisor on Afghanistan and Pakistan to Under Secretary of Defense Michèle Flournoy, and three 4* Generals in Afghanistan. He was decorated with the Department of Defense’s highest civilian award for his work on strategy. In 2007-08, he commanded an 800-soldier task force in Kunar and Nuristan provinces where he pioneered an innovative approach to counterinsurgency in one of the most violent areas of the country. His unit is the only one in the history of the war to have motivated a large insurgent group to stop fighting and join the government. His advice has been adopted by three Secretaries of Defense and the President of the United States. He was selected to be the Secretary of Defense’s representative in exploratory talks with the Taliban from 2010-2013. He is the only American to have fought the Taliban in combat and engaged them in high-level diplomacy.

He is the founder of the Strategic Leaders Academy, which helps nonprofits and small businesses maximize their impact by developing their Leadership, Culture, and Strategy. He is the editor and coauthor of Leadership: The Warrior's Art, which has appeared on the professional reading lists of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. His most recent book, The Counterinsurgency Challenge, maps the journey of a leader in a difficult and dangerous conflict.

On September 16, 2020 Ret. Colonel Christopher Koldenda participated in “Longest War - How Do We End It? Koldenda and Johnson discuss the impact of the war, how it can be ended, and recent events with our military that have made headlines.

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Jeh Johnson

Secretary Jen Johnson

Jeh Johnson’s distinguished career has included both private corporate law practice and top-level public service for two Presidents.  

In his public career, he has served in President Obama’s Cabinet as Secretary of Homeland Security, and in senior positions in the Department of Defense, the Air Force, and the US Attorney’s office.  Johnson was drawn to public service by his belief in government as a source of good, by his faith in the character and people of the nation, and by his family’s strong history of community leadership. 

In the private sector, Johnson is a trial lawyer who has tried some of the highest stakes commercial cases of recent decades. He is a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. He is also a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.

“A straightforward, plain-speaking man of great integrity” - Robert Gates

President Barack Obama and Secretary Jeh Johnson 

Johnson was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security by President Obama in 2013 and served through 2017. In this role, he led one of the largest and most complex agencies in the U.S. government with a workforce of over 200,000 employees and responsibilities including counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, border, aviation, port, and maritime security, the protection of national leaders and critical infrastructure, national response to disasters, and the detection of chemical, biological and nuclear threats to the United States. 

Johnson speaks at his Alma Mater, Morehouse College

He is credited with management reform of the Department which brought a centralized approach to decision making, and for raising employee morale across the agency.  During his tenure Johnson oversaw the DHS response to such challenges as the Ebola crisis in West Africa; the huge influx of immigrants and asylum seekers from Central America; and the Obama Administration's executive actions affecting undocumented individuals living in the U.S.

When Johnson testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security in 2014, he did so in the same room on Capitol Hill where his grandfather was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1949. Accused of being a member of the Communist party, the prominent black sociologist Dr. Charles Johnson told Congress “wanting the elimination of inequalities and racial discrimination is not wanting to subvert the government.” 

Prior to his appointment to the DHS, Johnson served as General Counsel of the Department of Defense from 2009 to 2012, where he was the legal architect for the military’s counterterrorism efforts in the Obama Administration and was responsible for the legal approval for every military operation authorized by the President and the Secretary of Defense.  He was also heavily involved in the reform of military commissions, and shaped the administration’s polices on the detention of terrorism suspects. 

In 2010, he co-authored a 250-page report that paved the way for the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law which had prevented members of the LGBT+ community from serving openly in the military. In 2012, he delivered an internationally acclaimed address at the Oxford Union, entitled “How Will the War Against al Qaeda End?”, in which he looked ahead to a moment when the terrorist organization was so diminished that the United States could relax its military posture.

Johnson speaking at the Islamic Society of North America convention in Chicago in September 2016

Johnson began his public career as the Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted public corruption cases. He tried 12 cases and argued 11 appeals in three years. President Clinton appointed Johnson to be General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force in 1998, where his tenure coincided with Operation Allied Force, NATO’s air strikes during the Kosovo War. He was awarded the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service for his efforts, one of three medals awarded to him by the Department of Defense.

Johnson with two members of the TSA

In private practice, Johnson is a partner in the Litigation Department of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, having become the firm’s first African American partner in 1994. Johnson previously chaired the Judiciary Committee of the New York City Bar Association, which rates and approves federal, state, and local judges in New York City. In 2020, New York State’s Chief Judge appointed Johnson to assess equal justice in the state court system; Johnson issued a 100-page public report on the issue, with the Chief Judge adopting all of his proposed changes.

Johnson received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College, and his law degree from Columbia Law School.  He has received eleven honorary degrees.  

He is a member of the board of directors of Lockheed Martin and U.S. Steel, a trustee of Columbia University, member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Law Institute.

Johnson is a regular commentator on national issues on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, PBS, FOX, and numerous other outlets. His op-eds have been published in op-eds the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the Hill.  Since leaving government, he has also been called to testify before Congress five times on the subjects of cybersecurity, homeland security and national security

Johnson in his high school yearbook

TCG is thrilled to have been able to show Johnson’s terrific campaign bumper sticker collection on our Zooms. We’re hoping to catch a glimpse of his extensive train set collection.

Johnson, John Kerry, and TCG’s Patricia Duff at The Common Good Forum 2017

Johnson participated at The Common Good Forum 2017 on May 12, 2017, speaking on “Homeland Security in the Trump Years”. He also spoke alongside Representative Adam Schiff in The Russia Investigation with Congressman Adam Schiff and Secretary Jeh Johnson, and moderated a conversation at The Common Good with Michael Morell in 2018: Special Discussion with Michael Morell - March 1, 2018.

On September 16, 2020 Secretary Jeh Johnson participated in “Longest War - How Do We End It? Chris Kolenda and Johnson discuss the impact of the war, how it can be ended, and recent events with our military that have made headlines.

Johnson currently serves as a member ofThe Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Selected Media:

• Letter From Former Senior National Security, Military, and Elected Officials Calling On Congress To Create A Bipartisan 1/6 Commission

• Johnson for The Hill Stop the political blame game, so we can solve our crisis first 

• Johnson for The Hill Pittsburgh synagogue shooting was one of many warnings — but are we listening now? 

• New York Times on Johnson’s 2020 report: ‘Vile, Racist Postings’ by N.Y. Court Officers Included Obama in a Noose

• Johnson for The Washington Post: Trump-era politics are drowning out consensus on immigration. It’s time for some straight talk.

• Johnson for The Washington Post: Trump’s ‘zero-tolerance’ border policy is immoral, un-American — and ineffective

• My American Story: Secretary Jeh Johnson — The Common Good

• A Conversation with Jeh Johnson (2019 NPR interview)

• The Frontline Interview: Jeh Johnson 2018 interview on Frontline

Future of Risk: Jeh Johnson - Podcast on the Future of Risk with Johnson

Johnson with Representative Adam Schiff and Patricia Duff at The Common Good, 

Johnson with former Deputy Director of the CIA, Michael J. Morell at The Common Good

Tom Frieden

Tom Frieden

Infectious Disease Expert & Public Health Physician

Dr. Tom Frieden, MD, MPH served as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Commissioner of the New York City Health Department.

As Director, he led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) work that ended the Ebola epidemic, launched initiative that will prevent 500,000 heart attacks and strokes, sounded the alarm and accelerated progress addressing the epidemic of opioid use, and increased effective action on the front lines to find and fight winnable battles and protect and improve health in the United States and around the world. 

As Health Commissioner, he led health transformation in New York City which increased life expectancy by 3 years. He created plans to combat HIV and increased tobacco control resulting in the saving of countless lives.

He currently serves as President and CEO of Resolve To Save Lives which aims to prevent epidemics and save 100 million people from cardiovascular disease. 

Frieden participated in the event COVID-19: Then, Now and What’s To Come moderated by HHS Deputy Asst Secretary for Health Rear Admiral (ret) Susan Blumenthal, MD on Oct. 14, 2020.

Articles by Frieden:

How to Defeat Trump's Plan to Overturn the Election

Amid Trump's Post-Election Chaos, Hold Lawyers to Account

How Trump Could Lose the Election — And Still Remain President

Daniel Lucey

Daniel Lucey

American physician & researcher

Daniel Lucey MD, MPH graduated from Dartmouth College and Medical School, completed Internal Medicine Residency at UC San Francisco 1982-1985, and an Infectious Disease Fellowship and Masters in Public Health (MPH) in 1988 at Harvard. 

He worked in the US Public Health Service for five years at the NIH and FDA. Since 2003 he has travelled overseas every year, mostly to Asia and Africa, to meet with colleagues involved with outbreaks of infectious diseases e.g., SARS, H5N1 avian flu, pandemic H1N1 human flu, Nipah virus, anthrax, MERS, H7N9 avian flu, and Ebola (in Sierra Leone and Liberia). 

In 2014 he joined the O’Neill Institute as a Senior Scholar. Since 2004 he has taught a course on Global Emerging Infectious Diseases at GUMC and organized cross-campus symposia on infectious diseases at the Medical Center and School of Foreign Service. His proposal to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History was recently approved for development of an exhibition on Global Zoonotic Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Lucey participated in the event COVID-19: Then, Now and What’s To Comemoderated by HHS Deputy Asst Secretary for Health Rear Admiral (ret) Susan Blumenthal, MD on Oct. 14, 2020.

Doug Sosnik

Doug Sosnik

Policy & Political Expert

Doug Sosnick served as a senior advisor to President Clinton from 1994 to 2000, playing a key role in policy, strategy, political and communications decisions in the White House; his titles included Senior Advisor for Policy and Strategy, White House Political Director and Deputy Legislative Director. Prior to joining the Clinton Administration, Sosnik was the chief of staff for Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, and later worked with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Mr. Sosnik currently advises elected officials, corporations, foundations, universities, nonprofits and philanthropists on strategic planning and crisis management. Clients include the National Basketball Association, the Motion Picture Association of America and CNBC, as well as advised over 50 U.S. Senators and governors.

Doug co-authored a New York Times bestseller, Applebee’s America: How Successful Political, Business and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community.

Sosnick joined TCG on September 30 for The First Presidential Debate Panel alongside John Avlon and Ed Rollins.

Clyde Haberman

Clyde Haberman

American Journalist

Clyde Haberman has served as a journalist with The New York Times since 1977. His assignments included staff editor of The Week in Review; Metro reporter; City Hall bureau chief; and foreign correspondent in Tokyo and Rome, and bureau chief in Jerusalem. He is known and received tremendous praise for his coverage of the Attica prison rebellion, the fall of Ferdinand Marcos, the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the 1993 Oslo accords between Israel and the Palestinians, the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the rise of Islamic terrorism in the Middle East. 

He was part of a Times team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News, awarded for coverage of the prostitution scandal that led to Eliot Spitzer's resignation as New York governor. He continues to be a NYT columnist  and writes the Retro Report essays for The New York Times.

Clyde Haberman moderated our event, The White Working-Class Political Revolution with David Kuhn, Charlie Cook, and Jim Webb on January 7, 2021. Kuhn, Webb, Cook, and Haberman discussed how the white working-class was driven away from the Democratic party and towards Republicans and how that schism continues to drive class conflict and political polarization today. The discussion also broached the Democrats inability to make inroads with this demographic and if white working-class voters support Republicans in spite of their own policy preferences.

Charlie Cook

Charlie Cook

Political Analyst and Election Forecastor

Charlie Cook is considered one of the nation’s leading authorities on American politics and U.S. elections. He is the editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report which serves as one of the leading sites and informational platforms for election predictions and results in the United States. He is also a political analyst for NBC News and National Journal.

Since the 1984 US presidential election, Cook has provided election night commentary for various television networks. The Wall Street Journal has referred to Cook as “the Picasso of election analysis” and the Washington Post has called him "perhaps the best non-partisan tracker of Congressional races.”

In 2010, Charlie was the co-recipient of the American Political Science Association’s prestigious Carey McWilliams award to honor “a major journalistic contribution to our understanding of politics."

Charlie Cook has participated in The 2020 Post Election Round Up with Al Franken, Rick Wilson, and Jonathan Capehart on November 10, 2020. He also participated in The White Working-Class Political Revolution with David Kuhn, Jim Webb, and moderator Clyde Haberman on January 7, 2021. Kuhn, Webb, Cook, and Haberman discussed how the white working-class was driven away from the Democratic party and towards Republicans and how that schism continues to drive class conflict and political polarization today. The discussion also broached the Democrats inability to make inroads with this demographic and if white working-class voters support Republicans in spite of their own policy preferences.

Anita Dunn

Anita Dunn

Anita Dunn is one of the nation’s most highly regarded communications strategists, bringing decades of experience to bear for political, corporate, nonprofit and advocacy clients. Her sharp messaging and innovative approach to navigating complex issues and crises have won campaigns for a wide range of clients. A leading expert on message delivery, Anita has managed presidential debate preparations and has media- and message-trained dozens of political candidates and Fortune 100 executives.

As White House communications director and senior adviser to President Obama’s presidential campaigns, Anita directed conventional and new media communications strategies, as well as research, speechwriting, television booking, presidential events and cabinet affairs press.

Anita is Managing Director at SKDKnickerbocker. The influential Holmes Report named SKDK as the North America Public Affairs Agency of the Year in 2019, following wins in 2018, 2015 and 2016, as well as Global Public Affairs Agency of the year in 2016. SKDK also won the 2017 Sabre Award for Crisis Management and PR Agency Elite award for work with Nonprofits and Associations from PR News in 2016.

Michael Schmidt

Michael Schmidt

Michael S. Schmidt is an American journalist, author, and correspondent for The New York Times in Washington, D.C. and national security contributor for MSNBC and NBC News. He covers national security and federal law enforcement and has broken several high-profile stories. The Pulitzer-winning reporter broke news of Hillary Clinton’s use of personal email while secretary of state, and of James Comey authoring a memo that detailed the president ordering him to end the FBI investigation of Gen Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser.

All of these are detailed in his most recent book Donald Trump V. The United States: Inside the Struggle to Stop a President. Schmidt dives in to his experiences having that he describes as a “front row seat” as these pinnacle events came to fruition. This New York Time Bestseller offers one more startling dissections of the Trump presidency.

Click here for more.

Schmitt discussed his impromptu interview with President Donald Trump on the Late Night Show with Seth Meyers. Describing his interview with President Trump like “unzipping fog” as he unpacks with Meyers the experience. He details the extent of the work and how quickly he had to maneuver to keep up with the constant stream of news coming out day by day.

Michael Schmidt’s vast knowledge of the Trump presidency makes him an ideal panelist to discuss the highs and lows of the Final Presidential Debate. Join The Common Good Friday, October 23rd, 12:00pm EST to for a recap and discussion on the debate. Get your questions answered by Schmidt and our other expert panelists. Click the button to RSVP!

Rachel Bitecofer, PhD.

Rachel Bitecofer

Rachel Bitecofer is an ace election forecaster and the founder of The Cycle a digital platform for news and politics. Forecaster, election analyst, pollster, and all-around data girl, Dr. Bitecofer is one of the most accurate, and exciting, experts in today's political arena. Her research has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, and other major media outlets.

Click here to go to The Cycle

Bitecofer was nationally recognized for predicting the results of the 2018 United States midterm elections more closely than most other forecasters. She first predicted that Democrats would pick up 42 seats in the House of Representatives in September 2018, revising her forecast to 45 seats in November,  just days before the election even as others were revising their estimates downwards. Democrats ultimately gained 41 seats in the House election, making her prediction one of the most accurate of that cycle. However, there were some errors in her Senate election forecast, where she incorrectly predicted that Democrat Bill Nelson would win reelection in Florida.

Dubbed the Election Whisperer, Bitecofer’s expertise in analysis and prediction has everyone coming to her for the inside scoop on what to expect before the election. Check out her interview on Real Time with Bill Maher where they discuss how she is able to make such accurate predictions and doing so in a hyper-polarized climate.

Bitecofer is also an author of The Unprecedented 2016 Presidential Election. This book explains the 2016 presidential election through a strategic focus. In the primaries both parties faced challenges from insurgent outsiders riding waves of populist fervor in the electorate, but only the Democrats were able to steer the nomination into the hands of their establishment favorite.

Dr. Bitecofer is famous for her main thesis that modern elections are not decided by the swing vote, but rather negative partisanship, which prioritizes defeating the other side over any specific policy objective. Under her theory, shifts in voter turnout decide everything, and the "swing" mainly comes from whether voters decide to vote at all rather than deciding who to vote for.

Rachel Bitecofer participated in Recap: Final Presidential Debate Panel on October 23, 2020. Bitecofer, Schoen and McFadden help unpacked what happened during the final Presidential debate.

Ambassador Jane Hartley

Ambassador Jane Hartley

Former U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco

Jane Hartley served as Ambassador to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco from 2014 – 2017 during some of the most difficult times for France. She was confirmed to both posts by the U.S. Senate in September 2014.

Previously, Jane Hartley was Chief Executive Officer and a Founding Principal of Observatory Group, an international economic and political advisory firm providing analysis of key government policies affecting the global capital markets. Before founding the Observatory Group, Ms. Hartley was Chief Executive Officer of the G7 Group. As CEO, Ms. Hartley built G7 Group into a premier research firm providing macroeconomic and political analysis to investors in the global market. The G7 Group put together a network of global policymakers and distributed analysis to most of the major central bankers and finance ministers as well as major financial institutions.

Jane currently serves as a member of the Visiting Committee at the Kennedy School at Harvard University as well as the Executive Committee and the Dean’s Council. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Jane is a member of the Board of Overseers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sesame Workshop (Sesame Street) and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for American Progress.

Jane Hartley participated in U.S. - French Relations, on March 10 2021.

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Read more:

Tait Ryssdal, ‘Former French Ambassador Examines Current European Politics’, The Hoya, 3 October 2017

Jake Cigainero, ‘At U.S. Embassy in Paris, the Art is Welcome’, The New York Times, 6 October 2016

Maggie Bullock, ‘Ambassador Jane Hartley On Managing in a Time of Crisis’, Elle, 21 January 2016

Marianne Williamson

Marianne Williamson

Author, Politician & Spiritual Leader

Marianne Williamson is an accomplished author, activist and spiritual leader who formerly pursued the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States. Her campaign focused on the search for higher wisdom where she wanted to create a new political possibility in America — one where citizens awaken, and democracy could once more become a thing about which we can all feel proud.

Ms. Williamson has published 12 books throughout her career.  Of these 12 books, 7 have made the New York Times bestseller list while four have reached #1 bestselling status.  Some of her works include A Return to Love, A Year of Miracles, The Law of Divine Compensation and Politics of Love.

  On top of her successful writing, Ms. Williamson has a long career in activism.  In 1989, she founded Project Angel Food which has served over 11 million meals to homebound individuals affected by the AIDS disease in the Los Angeles area. Project Angel Food now serves 1,200 meals a day to people. Ms.Williamson was honored at this year’s Angel Awards and had celebrated its 25th anniversary by honoring their founding team.

Ms. Williamson headlined a Meet & Greet on October 18, 2019.  

Twitter: @marwilliamson

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Read More:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/us/politics/marianne-williamson-drops-out.html

Marianne Williamson, ‘After Tuesday’s debate, there’s no way I’m dropping out’, The Washington Post, 16 October 2019

Olivia Nuzzi, ‘Marianne Williamson on Climate, Respecting the Right, and the Blind Spots of the Elite Media’, New York Magazine, 24 September 2019

Holly Bailey, ‘Marianne Williamson had a big night in the Democratic debate. Here are 7 things to know about her’, The Washington Post, 31 July 2019

Ambassador Robert Ford

Ambassador Robert Ford

Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria

Robert Ford finished a thirty year career with the U.S. Department of State in April 2014. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Syria from 2011-2014, receiving the Profile in Courage award in 2012 from the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston for his human rights work, and a Presidential Honor award in 2012 for his stewardship of the American Embassy in Damascus during a crisis period. He was also presented with the Distinguished Service award, the State Department’s highest award, by Secretary of State John Kerry in March 2014. Ford was the U.S. Ambassador in Algeria 2006-2008 and also served five years in Iraq helping the Iraqis establish their permanent government through three rounds of elections.

He is now a scholar at the Middle East Institute where he writes and speaks about Iraq, Syria and North Africa. He is also a fellow at Yale University Jackson Institute where he teaches about Arab politics and diplomacy.

Ambassador Ford spoke at The Common Good in 2017: Syrian Civil War: End in Sight? : Ambassador Robert Ford. We are thrilled to announce Ambassador Ford joined The Common Good in Conference Call with Ambassador Robert Ford-- Syria, he briefed us on the withdrawal of the US troops in Syria. Twitter: @fordrs58

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Read more:

‘Turkish Troops Attack Kurdish Forces For A 2nd Day’, NPR, 10 October 2019

‘Former U.S. Diplomat Weighs In On U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Syria’, NPR, 25 December 2018

Tom O’Connor, ‘U.S. Will Lose Syria to Iran and Abandon Kurdish Allies’, Newsweek, 19 June 2017

John Avlon

John Avlon

Author, columnist, commentator

John Avlon is an author, columnist and commentator. He is a senior political analyst and anchor at CNN, appearing on New Day every morning.

From 2013 to 2018, he was the editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast. He is the author of the books Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics, Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America, and Washington’s Farewell: the Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations. He is also the co-editor of the acclaimed Deadline Artists journalism anthologies. Avlon served as chief speechwriter to New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and, in 2012, won the National Society of Newspaper Columnists award for best online column. Avlon is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln.

John Avlon spoke at The Common Good in 2018: Defending Democracy: John Avlon, Philip Bobbitt, Ian Kahn, Garry Kasparov, and Bret Stephens - November 29th, 2018, and moderated the panel “Rule of Law, Corruption, and Abuse of Power” featuring Bill Browder and Preet Bharara at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards - May 10, 2019. Avlon was also a co-speaker at our The Rise of Lincoln & U.S. Division with author Sidney Blumenthal on September 24, 2019.

Avlon joined TCG again on September 30, 2020 for The First Presidential Debate Panel alongside Ed Rollins and Doug Sosnick. The panelists reviewed and analyzed the highs and lows of the face-off between the Democrat (Biden) and the Republican (Trump) nominees and how the debate may affect each ticket’s election fortunes.

Twitter: @JohnAvlon

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Read more:

John Avlon, ‘Trump’s absurd projection reveals his anxiety’, CNN, 24 September 2019

Chris Cillizza, ’Avlon on Trump’s witch-hunt’, CNN, 15 May 2019 

John Avlon, “9/11: ‘A gray cloud of debris rolled violently toward us…’”, CNN, 11 September 2018