Rudy Giuliani's wife

Rudy Giuliani was quoted in today's New York Times (based on a Barbara Walters interview on "20/20" on March 27th) as saying this about his wife's potential role in government should he be elected President in 2008 --

(regarding sitting in on Cabinet meetings) ".........if she wanted to, If they were relevant to something that she was interested in. I mean that would be something that I'd be very, very comfortable with..........."

Well I would be comfortable with Judith Giuliani playing this role too if I had any idea what her political views are but there are no confirmation hearings for the role of "First Lady". Personally I don't think we need an "Office of the First Lady" but given the historically influential role spouses have played in our nation's history (think Eleanor Roosevelt) perhaps it is time to have a presidential debate that only has the major party nominees' spouses?? Now that could add some excitement to the campaign!!

Todd

Governor Mike Huckabee

Former Governor Arkansas Mike Huckabee (Republican) gained national fame when he went on a personal weight loss campaign.

For a full biography of Governor Huckabee please visit --

http://www.explorehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Biography.Home

Governor Huckabee and his wife, Janet, live in North Little Rock. They have three grown children: John Mark, David and Sarah. For a complete biography on Janet Huckabee please visit -

http://www.oldstatehouse.com/collections/first-ladies-gowns/gowns/huckabee/bio.asp

Here is an excerpt from this bio which provides some insights on her cultural/political interests:

"She is an active Co-Chair for the Campaign for Healthier Babies in Arkansas. She is a member of the Friends of the Zoo and the Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross. She serves as a member of many boards including the Baptist Health Foundation, the Arkansas Hospice Foundation, Arkansas State Baptist Convention Executive Board, and co-chairs the Red Ribbon Week for the Arkansans for Drug-Free Youth program."

No red flags jump out to me although I can't help but note the American Red Cross has become a bloated bureaucracy which seems to look more like a government agency every year versus being a private sector solution for disaster recovery.

At first blush Mrs. Huckabee seems to be a very engaged and caring woman based on these activities.

Todd

US Senator John McCain

Senator John McCain (Republican - Arizona) is nearly an official candidate for the Republican Party nomination for President of the USA in 2008 so a review of his bio is appropriate.

As most people know Senator McCain spent years in a Vietnam prison camp after his flighter plane was shot down during the Vietnam War. For more on Senator McCain please visit - http://www.mccainforpresident.org/

Senator McCain is currently married to -- Cindy Hensley McCain -- who is heir to a family business built via distribution of Anheuser-Busch beer. For a full background on Mrs. McCain please visit -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Hensley_McCain.

I was reminded that I needed to complete a posting on the McCain's when I received a fundraising letter from "Operaton Smile" ( lhttp://www.operationsmile.org/) , based in Norfold, Virginia, last week which included an "A Reply to Cindy McCain" insert. Now I commend Mrs. McCain for her charity work but have to congratulate them on the political timing of this letter since it clearly helped get the "McCain" name in front of thousands of households across the USA without using any presidential campaign funds. Good move and it helps children at the same time!!

Copied below is Operation Smile's Board of Directors and Board of Advisors -- nothing unusual stands out from this list but perhaps readers might note something I have overlooked:

Board of Directors
Robert James Boyd IIIChairman and CEOBoyd Steamship CorporationPanama City, Republic of Panama
Jeremy GreenhalghPartnerCharterhouse Capital Partners LLPLondon, United Kingdom
Stephen B. HoweVice President, AdvertisingThe Financial TimesNew York, New York
Joseph KainzFounder and CEOBarrington VenturesLake Barrington, Illinois
Thomas F. KaneOwnerAdare Manor Hotel & Golf ResortJuno Beach, Florida
Kathleen S. Magee, B.S.N., M.Ed., M.S.W.President and Co-founderOperation SmileNorfolk, Virginia
William P. Magee Jr., D.D.S., M.D.Chief Executive Officer and Co-founderOperation SmileNorfolk, Virginia
Cindy Hensley McCainChairmanHensley & CompanyPhoenix, Arizona
José Antonio RíosPresidentGlobal Crossing InternationalMiami, Florida
Robert C. Russell, M.D., F.R.A.C.S., F.A.C.S.Watson ClinicSpringfield, Illinois
Thomas B. ShuttleworthShuttleworth, Ruloff, Giordano & Swain, P.C.Virginia Beach, Virginia
Carl W. Treleaven - TreasurerChief Executive OfficerWestlake Ventures, Inc.Madeira Beach, Florida
Howard J. Unger - ChairmanPresident, Letton Gooch Printers, Inc.Partner, Commonwealth Investment Partners LLCNorfolk, Virginia
Don WatkinsChief Executive OfficerAmerican Covers, Inc.Alpine, Utah
Randy Sherman, M.D.The Audrey Skirball KenisProfessor and ChairPlastic and Reconstructive SurgeryKeck School of MedicineLos Angeles, California
William R. FoxPresidentFox Properties Inc.Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
Board of Governors
Billy BushCo-Anchor"Access Hollywood"Los Angeles, California
Alice Chiu, JPFounderSheen Hok Charitable FoundationHong Kong
Dan Clark, CSPMotivational Speaker, Consultant and AuthorClark Success SystemsSalt Lake City, Utah
Elizabeth M. DaleySteven J. Ross/Time-Warner Professor and DeanSchool of Cinema-TelevisionUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Roma DowneyActress and Operation Smile SpokespersonMalibu, California
Bill FinneranManaging DirectorWachovia SecuritiesNew York, New York
Alan G. HassenfeldChairman of the BoardHasbro, Inc.Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Paul HighamPrincipalh factorFormer Chief Marketing Officer (Retired)Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.Taos, New Mexico
Thomas F. KaneOwnerAdare Manor Hotel & Golf ResortJuno Beach, Florida
William P. Magee Jr., D.D.S., M.DChief Executive Officer and Co-founderOperation SmilePresidentMagee-Rosenblum Plastic SurgeryNorfolk, Virginia
Jerry MoyesChairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer (Retired)Swift Transportation, Inc.Phoenix, Arizona
Dale MurphyProfessional baseball player (Retired)Atlanta BravesPhiladelphia PhilliesColorado RockiesAlpine, Utah
Frank Reidy, ChairmanDirectorYantai-Raffles ShipyardChinaPresidentMcClees Associates, LLCVirginia Beach, Virginia
Carlos F. RoblesPresident, Starbright Solutions LLCGlobal Retailer Marketing Manager, ExxonMobil (Retired)Weston, Florida
José Antonio RíosPresidentGlobal Crossing InternationalMiami, Florida
Mariquita Salimbangon-YeungFounding ChairmanMariquita Salimbangon-Yeung Charitable Foundation, Inc.Cebu, the Philippines

Senator Mike Gravel

While reading my local newspaper in Minnesota -- Pioneer Press -- I noticed a list of presidential candidates for 2008 which included 9 Democrats and 10 Republicans. Of these 9 Democrats one stood out since I have never seen him mentioned anywhere else -- former US Senator from Alaska Mike Gravel:

http://www.gravel2008.us/

Senator Gravel served in Alaska's House of Representatives including two terms as Speaker of the House before being elected to the US Senate where he served from 1969 to 1981. Gravel is probably best known for his opposition to President Richard Nixon including Gravel's release of the "Pentagon Papers" which included documents detailing how and why the USA entered the Vietnam War. One fact that shocked me regarding Gravel's background is that he served as chairman of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institute (http://www.adti.net/), a free market-oriented think tank. This is an interesting footnote since Gravel's presidential campaign advocates universal health care -- clearly not a free market idea.

Senator Gravel is currently married to Whitney Stewart Gravel which is noted on his official bio but other sources (http://www.nndb.com/people/987/000115642/) note that he married Rita Martin in 1958.

Finding information on Whitney and Rita has proven difficult so as the campaign progresses I will check emerging sources.

Todd

Congressman Ron Paul

US Congressman/Doctor Ron Paul (Republican-Libertarian of Texas) initially served in the US Congress from the late 1970's until 1984 when he voluntarily retired but was re-elected in 1996. For more on his background please note the websites and excerpt copied below:

http://www.ronpaul.org/
and
http://www.house.gov/paul/

"Ron Paul was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Gettysburg College and the Duke University School of Medicine, before proudly serving as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force during the 1960s. He and his wife Carol moved to Texas in 1968, where he began his medical practice in Brazoria County. As a specialist in obstetrics, gynecology, Dr. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies!"

Dr. Paul is the highest profile libertarian in public office in the USA today although he carries the Republican Party label. I know he has his reasons for doing this but since he serves in the Minority in the US House of Representatives with the Republicans why not publicly declare himself a "Libertarian" to he can help that party raise its profile to challenge the current duopoly in Congress?

Dr. Paul has been married to Carol Paul for 50 years and they have 5 children and 17 grand-children together. The only background I can find on her is that she likes to quilt and that she developed the "cook book" idea for Congressman Paul's election campaigns where they send cook books to constituents.

Research will have to continue on Mrs. Paul since I am certain there are more elements to her life.

Todd

Governor Bill Richardson

Ever since former US Ambassador to the United Nations and US Secretary of Energy, Bill Richardson, left Washington DC to become Governor of New Mexico I think it was clear he was focused on running for President of the USA. The day for his campaign has apparently arrived now that Governor Richardson (Democrat - New Mexico) has declared his quest for the Democratic Party's nomination in 2008. Please note this excerpt from his official bio:

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/
"Born November 15, 1947 in Pasadena, California to an American father and Mexican mother, Governor Richardson grew up in Mexico City before moving to New England, where he attended high school and college. He has dedicated his life to public service, as a United States Congressman, Ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of Energy, and now as Governor of New Mexico. "

No where do I see any mention of Governor Richardson having worked in the private sector so if any readers find such career experience before I find it I would appreciate hearing from you. Overall, Bill Richardson has essentially spent his entire adult life in "public service" but who is the person behind the man? His wife -- Barbara Richardson -- whose complete bio is at the weblink below with an excerpt noted below:

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/about/about_barbara_richardson
"With literacy as another area of interest, Mrs. Richardson was responsible for the donation by Disney Corporation and Baby Einstein Corporation of 20,000 Baby Einstein educational videos to low income New Mexican families, as well as 5,000 new books from Scholastic Books for a southside Santa Fe elementary school and 500 books for the University of New Mexico Children's Hospital Pediatric Clinic."

I am biased since I love books (http://erasmusbookclub.blogspot.com/) so this literacy work by Mrs. Richardson is of interest. Overall, Mrs. Richardson's experience has been dominated by civil society activities such as working the Boys/Girls Clubs and domestic violence prevention programs.

Enchanting so far,

Todd

Congressman Tom Tancredo

Congressman Tom Tancredo (Republican - Colorado) recently entered the contest to become the Republican Party candidate for President of the USA in the 2008 election. At this point Congressman Tancredo is known as the "immigration reform candidate" but for a more complete profile please visit these websites:

http://tancredo4prez.blogspot.com/ -- an "unofficial" presidential campaign site built using Blogger!!

http://tancredo.house.gov/ -- official US House of Representatives' website which is excerpted below:

"He is a member of both the House International Relations and Resources Committees. He is also the chairman of the 104-member bipartisan House Immigration Reform Caucus. In addition, Tom is a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Canadian-American Parliamentary Assembly."

However, the item on his bio that interests me the most is the fact that Congressman Tancredo served as President of the free market think tank in Colorado -- the Independence Institute, www.i2i.org

Overall, some solid experience for him to utilize in his campaign but who is Congressman Tancredo's better half? His wife since 1977 -- Jackie. Jackie Tancredo met the Congressman when they were both teachers at Drake Junior High in Arvada, Colorado where she taught French and Russian.

The debate over bi-lingual education and immigration reform should be interesting given his linguistic skills.

Todd

Senator Joe Biden

US Senator Joe Biden (Democrat - Delaware) recently declared himself a candidate for the 2008 Democratic Party nomination for President of the USA. For details on the senator's quest please visit -- http://www.joebiden.com/ or at http://biden.senate.gov/biography/facts.cfm

Here is an excerpt from his official bio that is worth reviewing:

" Biden entered public life at the end of the turbulent 1960s. He returned home to Delaware (from Syracuse Law School) and practiced law before winning a seat on the New Castle County Council in 1970. Despite the fact that he was a Democrat running in a predominantly Republican district, Biden won by a large margin. In 1972, at the age of 29, Biden was elected to the U.S. Senate in an upset victory against a heavily favored incumbent Senator Caleb Boggs. Biden ran a positive campaign based largely on his opposition to the Vietnam War and a call for morality in government. "

Once completing his current US Senate term Senator Biden will have served a total of 36 years in the US Senate which I have to say is enough time for anyone to serve in public office. If he hasn't accomplished what he came to do in Washington DC already perhaps he should retire to "pursue other interests" as they say in corporate life. I must admit though I am VERY impressed that he was first elected to the US Senate at age 29 -- this is especially impressive since the minimum age requirement for serving as a US Senator is "30" which Biden was at the time he was actually sworn into office.

As I always do on this blog let me ask -- "so who is Senator Biden's 'better half', is he married or single, does he have a partner, or what?"

Senator Biden is married to -- Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden -- whom he married in 1977 after tragically losing his first wife in a car accident (hopefully Senator Ted Kennedy wasn't driving). In 1993 Mrs. Biden founded the Biden Breast Health Initiative (BBHI) that aims to teach young women about breast cancer -- http://www.bidenbreasthealthinitiative.org/

The BBHI's board of directors includes the following individuals:

Jill T. Biden - President
Marge Lang - Vice President
Tonya Baker - Secretary
Sue Zimmerman - Treasurer
Susan Cole - Executive Director
LaShauna Bonet McIntosh, M.D.
Cynthia Church
Vicky Cooke
Maureen Corrigan
Maria L. Cruz


Mrs. Biden's career experience includes teaching at the high school level so the BBHI (focused on young women) is a good fit for her plus it clearly helps her husband mobilize the female vote. The BBHI has been focused on Delaware so it will be interesting to watch if this project expands its outreach around the USA as a complement to Senator Biden's campaign.

Race for the Cure/White House,

Todd

Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Honestly when I hear the name "Rudy Giuliani" think of two things:

1.) His book, "Leadership", which includes sections on his career experience fighting organized crime and his work as Mayor of New York City - in particular his administration's centralization of the six (I believe it was 6) different police forces in NYC which of course had separate databases which didn't work together -- essentially they lowered crime via better record keeping and data mining on criminals. An impressive example for other big city mayors to follow.

and

2.) "Saturday Night Live's" Chris Farley's sketch where he portrays Mayor Giuliani's young son who was very excited and active at Mayor Giuliani's inaugural speech -- VERY funny stuff!!

Of course Mayor Giuliani is best known as "America's Mayor" following his post 9/11 leadership to recover from the World Trade Center attacks so I won't dwell on his career background anymore here but for a full biography on him please visit this website --

http://www.draftrudygiuliani.com/about_rudy_giuliani.php

Mayor Giuliani is married to, Judith Stish Nathan, whose biography follows below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Nathan

"Judith Giuliani is a Managing Director of Changing Our World, Inc. (www.changingourworld.com) a national fundraising and philanthropic services company headquartered in New York. Prior to joining Changing Our World, Mrs. Giuliani, a registered nurse with an extensive medical and scientific background, worked with U.S. Surgical Corporation and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Mrs. Giuliani co-ordinated the efforts of the Family Assistance Center at Pier 94 in the aftermath of September 11th. Also, in response to September 11th, Mrs. Giuliani became a Founding Member of the Board of Trustees of the Twin Towers Fund which raised and distributed all of the $216,000,000 to over 600 families/individuals. Contributions to the Fund also created the TTF Scholarship Fund and America’s Camp for victim’s children."

Changing Our World is part of the Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), the leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Through this relationship, our clients have unparalleled access to a wealth of public relations, communications, marketing, branding and advertising expertise.

Clearly Mayor Giuliani will have fundraising resources,

Todd

Senator Barack Obama

Half rock star/half public servant US Senator Barack Obama (Democrat - Illinois) finally ended the flirtation with the American public by filing the paperwork necessary to seek the 2008 presidential nomination for the Democratic Party.

For Senator Obama's official biography please visit this website --

http://obama.senate.gov/about/

Granted I am biased in my world view but when I see an excerpt from this one on his biography --
"Barack Obama has dedicated his life to public service as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, and leader in the Illinois state Senate. Obama now continues his fight for working families following his recent election to the United States Senate."

My immediate thought is, "I don't want anyone to dedicate their life to public service", I much prefer they get a regular private sector job like becoming a welder - not government jobs -- so they get front line experience where economic growth is actually created.

The general media has saturated us with Senator Obama's image and speeches but what do we know about his wife, Michelle, whom he married in 1992? Mrs. Obama is the Vice President for Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals. Her full biography is located at the website below along with an excerpt from this website copied below which explains he community involvement and career experience:

http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2005/20050509-obama.html

"Michelle Obama, 41, the wife of United States Senator Barack Obama, was born in Chicago and attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. She graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a B.A. in sociology in 1985 and earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she met her husband, in 1988. Obama then worked as an associate at the law firm of Sidley & Austin in Chicago. After spending a few years in the private sector, Obama moved into the public sector working first as an assistant to the mayor and then as the assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago. She then turned her attention to the non-profit sector. In 1993, she became the founding executive director of Public Allies Chicago, an Americorps National Service Program. Through her work with Public Allies in Chicago, Obama was able to provide internship opportunities and leadership training to hundreds of young adults interested in pursuing careers in the public sector. Obama serves on a variety of boards and commissions including the board of the Otho S.A. Sprague Memorial Institute, Facing History and Ourselves, and the Muntu Dance Company. She is a former member of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks."

Having reviewed Mr. and Mrs. Obama's biography I am actually more impressed with Mrs. Obama's background so perhaps she should be the candidate? :-) Although the "Public Allies-Americorps" work she did is a strike against her since a taxpayer-paid program designed to help "young adults interested in pursuing careers in the public sector" is bad for the country I assure you.

The Obama parade begins,

Todd

Senator Chris Dodd

US Senator Chris Dodd (Democrat - Connecticut) recently established an an exploratory committee to seek the Democratic Party nomination for President of the USA in 2008.

For Senator Dodd's official biography please visit --

http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/2954

Senator Dodd's official biography is a bit too wordy for me since it is filled with phrases like, "working for children..........extending health insurance............protecting citizens....." so it feels like one run on sentence issued as a press release. However I found this bit of his personal life/career experience of interest --

"Following his graduation from Providence College, Dodd, who is fluent in Spanish, spent two years in the Peace Corps working in a rural village in the Dominican Republic. Upon returning to the United States, Dodd enlisted in the Army and served in the reserves. In 1972, he earned a law degree from the University of Louisville School of Law. He practiced law in New London before his election to Congress in 1974, where he served three terms in the US House of Representatives."

Senator Dodd has been married to Jackie Clegg Dodd since 1999. Mrs. Dodd's background can be found at --
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jackie_Marie_Clegg

Here is an excerpt from her biography which includes serving on the staff of US Senator Jake Garn (Utah) in the past --

"She is currently a director of Blockbuster, a position she took up in July 2003. A biographical note states that she 'serves as Managing Partner of Clegg International Consultants, LLC, an international strategic consulting firm she founded in September 2001, specializing in emerging markets.' She is also a director of CBOT Holdings Inc., the Chicago Board of Trade, a position she was appointed to in September 2003. "

Unlike other spouses I have researched her I have not found any evidence of Mrs. Dodd's non-commercial interests such as personal hobbies and volunteer activities.

Research continues should the Dodd campaign continue,

Todd

Governor Jim Gilmore

Former Governor Jim Gilmore (Republican-Virginia) filed papers with the Federal Elections Commission to form an exploratory committee to pursue the Republican Party presidential nomination for the 2008 US elections. Governor Gilmore was elected in 1997 so he was governor when I lived in Arlington, Virginia thus I have first hand knowledge of his successful campaign to eliminate our dreaded "car tax" - congratulations and thank you again Governor Gilmore.

The last time I met with Governor Gilmore was in Berlin, Germany when we shared a dinner table at the European Regional Conference of Republicans Abroad in 2003. I was impressed when he was my governor and impressed with his one-on-one conversation that evening. Now four years later he has taken the first steps towards launching a campaign for president with an interesting combination of domestic/state level successes and foreign policy/intelligence experience.

For more background on Governor Gilmore see this website -- http://draftgilmore.org/

But enough on the governor for now, who is Governor Gilmore's "better half"? Governor Gilmore is married to Roxane Gatling Gilmore. Mrs. Gilmore's full bio is located at -- http://www.knowledge.state.va.us/main/welcome/roxane.htm

I am biased since I love to study history but I must say Mrs. Gilmore has impressive academic credentials as a college professor nearing completion of her PhD in Ancient History. One subject she lectures on today at Randolph-Macon College is "Roman History" which I always find to be an interesting subject since too many people have predicted the inevitable decline and fall of the USA much like the Roman Empire dissolved. Her volunteer work/role as First Lady of Virginia included working with the state's Department of Tourism to promote the state's historic venues and she is an active fundraiser for programs to combat violence and sexual assault aimed at children.

Overall, an interesting couple for voters to question during the 2008 selection process.

Todd

Governor Mitt Romney

Former Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, announced this week that he has formally organized a presidential exploratory committee to pursue the 2008 Republican Party nomination for President of the USA. Details at -- www.mittromney.com

The primary thing that I think of when I hear "Mitt Romney" is the day he decided on which state he would pursue his political career. The states that were options for him included -- Utah (due to his Olympics work), Michigan (since he was born there and his father served as governor), or Massachusetts (where he and his wife, Ann, have lived for over 30 years) -- now that is impressive to have three states to "choose" from for launching a credible campaign for public office since very few people can do that while overcoming any potential "carpet bagger" image.

Governor Romney has been called the "savior of the Salt Lake City Olympics" and made national news when he took command of the "Big Dig" transportation infrastructure project in Boston but what do we know about his wife, Ann?

For a complete overview readers can scan Mrs. Romney's biography (and photo!) here --

http://www.mittromney.com/Learn-About-Mitt/Annxs_Biography

Here is a very impressive excerpt from her biography that caught my attention especially the program (Right to Play) that uses sports to benefit poor children:

"Mrs. Romney is dedicated to improving the welfare of children, locally and internationally. She helped develop Right To Play, formerly Olympic Aid, an international nonprofit organization that uses sport and play as a developmental tool for children in the most disadvantaged areas of the world, and is still an active supporter of its tremendous work worldwide. She lends her time and leadership to equine therapy programs for physically challenged children, literacy programs for children including the annual Scholastic Reading event, as well as organizations such as Partners for Youth with Disabilities, the American Red Cross, the Boston Ten Point Coalition, and the Perkins School for the Blind. As First Lady, she also served as a board member of the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund. In recognition for her efforts, Mrs. Romney was the recipient of the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award from Operation Kids."


I must say I am impressed with her life of volunteer work but feel obligated to point out that she has been very involved with the "United Way". Granted United Way probably does some good things but when I worked in corporate life I found the United Way to be another bureaucratic mess just like our federal government. I would never write a check to the United Way opting instead to support local non-profit charities directly.

This looks like a husband-wife team worth watching for 2008.

Todd