Americans Away From Home

RECEPTION AND DEBATE ON THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Thursday 9th October 2008: 7.15 pm for 7.45 pm

The Theme of the debate will be the policies of the US presidential candidates and their possible implications for the UK
 
Venue: The Athenaeum, Pall Mall, London SW1 – Picture Room on the ground floor to the right of the main staircase.
Dress code for the Athenaeum Club is suits and ties for gentlemen, and the equivalent (trousers permitted) for ladies.
Cost: £27 per head for Harkness Fellows Association Members. £33 per head for non Members. Guests welcome.
There will be a reception with drinks and canapés beginning at 7.15 pm.
The debate will begin at about 8.00 pm.
A discussion will follow.

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The debate will be chaired by Professor Hugh Brogan, Harkness Fellow (1962). He has lectured and written extensively on US politics, and his many books include the Penguin History of the United States, American Presidential Families, Kennedy and, most recently, an enthusiastically received biography of de Tocqueville. 

Carole Bell will speak for the Democrats and Miki Bowman for the Republicans.

Carole Bell has focused her career in the private sector. She is an expert on politics and American culture, who speaks to businesses on globalisation and American topics. She is a member of the Professional Speakers Association of the UK. Carole worked as a journalist in Paris; when she returned to the U.S. to attend law school, Pierre Salinger wrote her reference letters. Carole practised business and international law in California; previously, she practised PR for 20th Century-Fox and ABC Television. Carole has organised the largest Obama group outside the U.S; created the website Americans Away From Home; and inspired the Obama musical premiering in London's West End. Her upcoming book will be published this year: Obama! Help Me! - Adventures of an *Im*Perfect Organizer! She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence. She speaks fluent French and Italian, and speaks and writes medium Japanese. 

Michelle “Miki” Bowman is Chairman of Republicans Abroad UK. She is a former US Government senior executive with substantial experience in the areas of homeland security, emergency management, customs and transportation. While in the Executive Branch, she served as Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security and, after establishing the DHS Office of Legislative Affairs, was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary. Prior to this, she spent several years working in the Legislative Branch as counsel to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and as an investigative attorney for the House Government Reform Committee. She also served on the staff of former Kansas Senator Bob Dole. Since moving to the UK four years ago, she has worked as a government affairs consultant. Miki Bowman holds a Juris Doctorate and is a member of the New York state Bar. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Advertising and Journalism. 

It should be a lively and fascinating evening. We anticipate a good turn out and have accordingly booked a large room at the Athenaeum. We hope many of our Harkness Fellows will be able to attend and we are also inviting selected guests from elsewhere with an interest in the event. Please reply soon (details as below). We need to let the Athenaeum have numbers in advance and we have to a pay for no shows, so if you do book and find you are unable to attend, please let Lizzie know at least three working days in advance. 

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RSVPs and cheques (made payable to Harkness Fellows Association) to:
Lizzie Martin harkness@acu.ac.uk
Tel 020 7380 6704
Harkness Fellows Association, c/o ACU, Woburn House, 20-24 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HF

Carole

 

Copyright Sky News 2008

I was interviewed by the legendary Peter Sissons on BBC News 24 this afternoon after having cheered for Obama in the morning. If you listen carefully to his press conference in front of Number 10, you can hear the UK's largest group of Obama supporters chanting his name at the gates of Downing Street.

Carole

 

Copyright 2008 BBC News 24

I was interviewed by the dashing Nicholas Owen, sitting with Emily Maitless, on BBC News 24 this afternoon.  I hope you like it.

An intriguing thought - They knew they were speaking to an Obama supporter.  How do the questions I was asked seem to you?

Carole

 

Copyright 2008 BBC News 24

Obama Fever!

It's raging in Europe, and around the world. Outside the U.S., people are crazed to hear what Obama's doing next. I was interviewed by the intrepid Steve Dixon on Sky News, and asked to discuss Barack Obama's trip to Afghanistan. I was told this interview would be shown on Sky worldwide.

Shortly before the interview was to start, everything was changed. I was told I would be having "a bit of a debate" with Charlie Wolf, a staunch Republican supporting John McCain. With no preparation for a debate, and about 30 minutes notice, I did the best I could but to make a point, I fear I humiliated myself as I wound up singing on international television!

I confessed that I can't sing, yet had actually sung a song on worldwide TV, when I got into the car leaving Sky's London studios, telling the driver I'd sung the John McCain song, "Bomb Bomb Iran".

"You need three of them," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"To do the harmony, to do it justice," the driver, Martin Kennedy, said in a lovely British accent. "It's a Beach Boys song, it's an arpeggio, and the harmony's the whole point of that song."

He explained, "It's a very old-fashioned round, like a nursery rhyme, like "Frère Jacques".

"How does this relate to the Sky TV interview?" I asked.

"You should have taken two friends along."

Carole

 

Copyright Sky News 2008