Political analyst E.J. Dionne to speak

One of the keenest political observers in the country will present the free public Ralph O. Nafziger Lecture Tuesday, April 3.

Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr., a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, will discuss “Legitimacy Wars: Which President is More Illegitimate, Clinton or Bush?” The lecture is scheduled at 4 p.m. in the Howard Auditorium, Fluno Center for Executive Education,

“Dionne has helped prompt a new awareness of the interaction of media and politics,” says Jack Mitchell, professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “His intriguing look at presidential legitimacy should spark some interesting debate in both the campus and broader communities.”

Dionne began his opinion column for the Post in 1993. Today, the feature appears nationwide in some 90 papers. He also is a regular political analyst for CNN and National Public Radio.

Dionne is the author of “They Only Look Dead: Why Progressives Will Dominate the Next Political Era” (Simon & Schuster: 1996) and the best-seller “Why Americans Hate Politics” (Simon & Schuster: 1991). In addition, he is co-editor of “What’s God Got To Do With the American Experiment?” (Brookings Press: 2000) and editor of “Community Works: The Revival of Civil Society in America” (Brookings: 1998).

Dionne holds degrees from Harvard University and Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

“Ralph O. Nafziger, who directed the School of Journalism between 1949-1966, would be proud to see E.J. Dionne here because he represents a blend of working journalism and academic thinking,” Mitchell says. “This combination drove Nafziger’s vision for journalism education and continues to guide our program today.”

The Nafziger Lecture Series, hosted by the UW–Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is made possible through the support of alumni, friends and the Nafziger family.

For more information, contact Janet Buechner, (608) 263-4080.