E-mail a friendSeptember 30, 2004
Former White House counsel John Dean, attorney Connie Rice, writer - and swing voter - John Ridley and Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez assess the first Bush-Kerry face-off in Tavis' "Debate Roundtable."
Leslie Sanchez
Leslie Sanchez
When she headed the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, Leslie Sanchez was President Bush's principal voice on education issues related to the Hispanic community. The Texas native also oversaw the RNC's 2000 national Hispanic vote strategy. A veteran of various local, state and federal political campaigns, Sanchez is President/CEO of Impacto Group, LLC, a marketing research firm.
John Ridley
John Ridley
Bush and Kerry have their sights on writer John Ridley - a swing voter. Ridley is the author of four novels and has TV writing credits on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and The John Laroquette Show. He provided the story for the film, Three Kings, and was a producer on NBC's, Third Watch. A regular commentator for NPR, Ridley has a degree in East Asian languages. His books include, Stray Dogs, the basis for the feature film, U-Turn.
Connie Rice
Connie Rice
Connie Rice was named one of California's top 10 most influential lawyers. A successful litigator, she's filed class action civil rights cases redressing police misconduct and race discrimination. Previously co-director of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's L.A. office, Rice co-founded the nonprofit Advancement Project, which provides support for community organizations working for racial and social justice. She also has a family connection to the Bush administration - her cousin is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
John Dean
John Dean
Many remember former presidential counsel John Dean as a central figure in the Watergate scandal and the chief whistleblower that helped bring down the Nixon presidency. A lecturer and writer, he's chronicled his White House years in several best sellers. Dean is an outspoken critic of the current Bush administration and has taken it to task in his books, Conservatives Without Conscience, Worse Than Watergate and, his latest, Broken Government. He's also written a screenplay, Pentagon Papers.