Political journalist Eleanor Clift to return to Dole Institute


Eleanor Clift


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LAWRENCE — The Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas will host "Campaign 2012 with Eleanor Clift" as part of the 2012 Muncy Journalism and Politics Lecture Series.

The event will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at the Dole Institute.

During her visit, Clift will bring her perspective to analyze the current race between an incumbent under attack and an opposition searching to find balance between traditional economic conservatives and the upstart Tea Party. Clift is a contributor to Newsweek magazine and the Daily Beast web site. She writes about Washington politics and the partisan clashes of a divided government. Clift has covered every presidential campaign since 1976. She is currently assigned to the White House.

"With the presidential race heating up, it will be invaluable to have Ms. Clift's analysis and forecast of the campaigns," said Bill Lacy, director of the Dole Institute. "With years of political reporting experience, Ms. Clift has remained a consummate and respected journalist who can provide real, honest insights."

Formerly Newsweek's White House correspondent, Clift also served as congressional and political correspondent for six years. She was a key member of the magazine's 1992 election team, following the campaign of Bill Clinton from the start to inauguration day. In June 1992, she was named deputy Washington bureau chief.

As a reporter in Newsweek's Atlanta bureau, Clift covered Jimmy Carter's bid for the presidency. She followed Carter to Washington to become Newsweek's White House correspondent, a position she held until 1985. Clift began her career as a secretary to Newsweek's National Affairs editor in New York. She was one of the first women at the magazine to move from secretary to reporter.

Clift left Newsweek briefly in 1985 to serve as White House correspondent for The Los Angeles Times. She returned to Newsweek the following year to cover the Iran-Contra scandal, which put President Reagan and his administration under critical fire. Clift was part of Newsweek's special project team following the 1984, 2000, 2004 and 2008 elections, each of which resulted in a book. The most recent is "A Long Time Coming," written by Evan Thomas and based on the Newsweek team's reporting chronicles the history-making campaign of Barack Obama.

Clift is a regular panelist on the syndicated talk show "The McLaughlin Group." She has appeared as herself in several movies, including "Dave," "Independence Day," "Murder at 1600," "Rising Sun" and the CBS series "Murphy Brown."

Clift lives in Washington, D.C., where she is on the advisory council of the International Women's Media Foundation, the board of the Center for Politics and Journalism and the Board of Governors of the National Hospice Foundation.

The Muncy Journalism and Politics Lectures are periodic programs endowed by Martha E. "Betty" Muncy, retired owner, publisher and editor of the Dodge City Daily Globe.

This event is co-sponsored by the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas.


Thu, 09/20/2012

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Melanie Coen

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Melanie Coen

Dole Institute of Politics

785-864-1156