Pundits Galore –Part Two

Watching politics on the news programs exposes us to a variety of opinions and points of view.  It’s good to be aware the background of the people we are listening to, their experiences and qualifications in the subject matter they are addressing, so that we might put their comments in perspective. In keeping with that thought, let’s meet some interesting people who are popping up on the airwaves.

Jonathan Capehart is a member of the Post editorial board and writes about politics and social issues for the PostPartisan blog. Prior to joining The Post in 2007, Capehart was the deputy editor of New York Daily News’s editorial page from 2002 to 2005. He worked as a policy adviser to Michael Bloomberg in his successful campaign for mayor of New York City, he was a national affairs columnist for Bloomberg News from 2000 to 2001, and he was a member of the Daily News editorial board from 1993 to 2000. Capehart and the Daily News editorial board won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for their series on the Apollo Theater in Harlem. In December 2004, Capehart joined the global public relations company Hill & Knowlton as a Senior Vice President and senior counselor of public affairs.

He was a 2011 Esteem Honoree, a distinction given to individuals in recognition of efforts in supporting the African American and LGBT communities in the areas of entertainment, media, civil rights, business and art.

He is an MSNBC contributor, appearing regularly on Morning Joe and other programs.

Michelle D. Bernard is an American journalist, political analyst, author, and President and CEO of the conservative Bernard Center. She was formerly President and CEO of Independent Women's Forum and Independent Women's Voice. She is the mother of two children.

She was born in Washington D.C. in 1964. Her family heritage is Jamaican American, saying in an interview with Bill Steigerwald, "My parents are American citizens, but they come from Jamaica. I was raised with very American and Jamaican values. In our culture, we have a very strong sense of pride and of family honor and of self-reliance”.

Bernard graduated from Howard University with a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy. She has a J.D. degree from the Georgetown University Law Center, and was a partner at the lobbyist and law firm Patton Boggs. In 2000, she was a member of the Bush-Cheney Presidential Inaugural Committee. She was the chair for the District of Columbia's Redevelopment Land Agency.
Bernard is a political and legal analyst for MSNBC, and is frequently a panelist on the The McLaughlin Group. In 2007, Bernard authored Women’s Progress: How Women Are Wealthier, Healthier, and More Independent Than Ever Before. She is also a Sunday columnist for The Washington Examiner.

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