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