Rove scheduled to speak at conference
CONFERENCE: Democratic strategist also on list
| Sunday, Nov 29 2009 12:01 PM
Last Updated Sunday, Nov 29 2009 12:01 PM
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Karl Rove, the Republican strategist and political commentator, is scheduled to speak at next year's Bakersfield Business Conference, the event's organizers have announced.
Also newly confirmed for the Oct. 9 event are Democratic strategist Bob Beckel and journalist Eleanor Clift.
The three are the latest participants to be announced for the conference's return after a five-year hiatus. They join a growing list of national figures, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former Vice President Dick Cheney and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Rove served as deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to former President George W. Bush. He was considered the architect of Bush's successful presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004. These days he serves as a contributor to Fox News and writes pieces for The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek.
"Many of our attendees will be interested in hearing from Rove about his experiences in the inner circle of the second Bush Administration along with his racehorse analysis of the 2010 elections," conference organizer George Martin wrote in a news release. "Rove is a masterful storyteller and we expect that he'll both inform and captivate our audience."
Beckel served as assistant secretary of state in the Carter administration, and later helped Walter Mondale win the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984. Beckel continues to advise clients in communications, and is a Fox News commentator and co-columnist for USA Today.
"Bob Beckel is, in many ways, the mirror image of Karl Rove," Martin wrote. "Beckel is a tough and aggressive liberal political consultant who famously wrapped the 'Where's the Beef' slogan around Democratic primary opponent Gary Hart while Beckel was running Walter Mondale's presidential campaign. Today, Beckel regularly appears on Fox News and remains one of the most recognized and respected voices in Democratic Party politics."
Clift, a former White House correspondent for Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times, is a contributing editor at Newsweek. She writes about Washington politics and other topics.
"Eleanor Clift has covered Democratic Party politics and the political arena in Washington, D.C. at the highest levels for more than three decades," Martin wrote. "Few can match her understanding of the power structure within the Democratic Party. If attendees enjoy her commentary on the McLaughlin Group or MSNBC, they'll really enjoy her presentation at next year's Conference. "
The event's communications director, Brandon Martin, wrote in the news release: "Conference attendees who don't find a particular speaker's viewpoints on business, economics or politics to their liking will be able to choose to listen to an alternative speaker with an alternative point of view in another forum on the Conference grounds. This is possible because the 2010 Conference will be running multiple stages in multiple tents. We'll have 24 speakers in 2010 and conference-goers will be able to pick and choose based on their own unique interests and preferences."
More conference speakers are to be announced in coming weeks.
For conference updates and ticket details, go to www.bpcbakbusconf.com.
