Regent University Clash of the Titans

Speaker Bios

Dick Armey | Howard Dean | Arianna Huffington| John R. Kasich | Joe Scarborough

Dick ArmeyDick Armey

Dick Armey was born in a small North Dakota town called Cando (pronounced "can do"), and that has set the tone of his lifestyle. Despite discouragement from his teachers, he was the first of his eight siblings to attend college and completed not only his bachelor's and master's, but also his Ph.D. in Economics.

A member of the House of Representatives from 1985 to 2003, Armey distinguished himself as a legislator and was tapped by two Speakers of the House to oversee the legislative agenda of that chamber. He rose to majority leader in 1995, where he served until his retirement. He is best known for his work on reforming agriculture subsidies, reforming public housing programs, welfare and immigration.

A portrait of Majority Leader Armey was recently unveiled at a U.S. Capitol ceremony and now hangs in the Richard K. Armey room of the Capitol. This is the first in the history of the House of Representative to receive approval by a full vote of the House, and, therefore, be displayed in the Capitol.

Armey, author of The Contract With America and The Flat Tax, remains faithful to his core microeconomics principles. He approaches any subject—be it the Internet, phone service, manufacturing, distribution, taxes or government in general—with one statement: "Freedom works."

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Alan ColmesHoward Dean

As chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC, 2005 to 2009), former Governor Howard Dean made the Democratic Party more competitive, while integrating national and state party operations and standing up for Democrats' core values. Dean was the architect of a "50-State Strategy," investing money and staff in every state—including those where Democrats had long fared poorly—to build party infrastructure and lay the groundwork for electoral gains. The Obama campaign, working with DNC organizers in all 50 states, won several states that had not elected a Democratic president in decades, including Virginia, North Carolina and Indiana.

Dean began his political career in the early 1980s. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1986, where he served in that capacity until becoming Vermont's governor upon the death of Gov. Richard A. Snelling in 1991. Elected to a full term in November 1992, Gov. Dean was re-elected four more times and created a record based on fiscally conservative principles that promoted equality and opportunity for all the citizens of Vermont. Under his leadership, Vermont paid down debt and enjoyed a $100 million surplus by 2001. In 2002, Dean was named Governing magazine's Public Official of the Year.

Before entering politics, Dean received a medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Upon completing his residency at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, he went on to practice internal medicine. He is married to Dr. Judy Steinberg, and they have two children.

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Geraldine FerraroArianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of 12 books. She is also co-host of Left, Right & Center, public radio's popular political roundtable program. In May 2005, she launched "The Huffington Post," a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely read, linked to and frequently cited media brands on the Internet.

In 2006, she was named to the Time 100, Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people. In 2009, she was named as one of the most influential women in media by Forbes magazine and number 42 in The Guardian's Top 100 in Media list.

Originally from Greece, Huffington moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in Economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union. She is known for her boldness and fearlessness and believes in saying what needs to be said and doing what needs to be done to lead and succeed.

Huffington is a prolific author, with titles including: Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe, in which she tackles the issues crucial to the 2008 presidential election and overall fate of the country. Her book, Picasso: Creator and Destroyer (1988) was an international bestseller, translated into 16 languages. The book was made into a film starring Anthony Hopkins as Picasso and produced by Merchant-Ivory for Warner Bros.

She has made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including Charlie Rose, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Nightline, Real Time with Bill Maher, Inside Politics, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, The Today Show and The O'Reilly Factor.

Huffington serves on several boards that promote community solutions to social problems and lives in Los Angeles with her two teenage daughters.

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Steve ForbesJohn R. Kasich

Named one of Newsweek's 100 People for the 21st Century, John Kasich (R-Ohio) believes in the power of the individual to raise standards and leave a better America for the next generation. He believes that more government isn't the answer to what ails America and that the actions of individuals can bring about historic change in the United States. Kasich fought for these ideals as a nine-term congressman from Ohio, and continues to do so as a business leader, media personality, author and speaker.

Elected to the Ohio State Senate at the age of 26 and to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 at the age of 30, Kasich played major roles in a variety of groundbreaking achievements during his 18 years in Congress. He worked as chief architect of the plan that balanced the federal budget for the first time since man first walked on the moon and provided for the largest government surplus our country has ever seen.

Kasich is known for his straightforward style, boundless energy and commitment to limited government. Today he serves as an investment banker on Wall Street and is host of Heartland with John Kasich on FOX News.

Additionally, Kasich is a two-time New York Times best-selling author, with titles including: Stand for Something: The Battle for America's Soul (2006) and Courage is Contagious. He has been profiled on 60 Minutes, appeared on virtually every major network and cable news show, and George magazine featured him as "One of the Most Fascinating Men in Politics." An avid reader, golfer and fitness enthusiast, John lives in Westerville, Ohio, with his wife Karen and their twin daughters.

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Mike HuckabeeJoe Scarborough

Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.) served as a member of Congress from 1994-2001. While in office, he served on the Judiciary Committee and the Armed Services Committee. After leaving Congress, he was named by President Bush to the President's Council on the 21st Century Workforce, where he served with Labor Secretary Chao, national labor officials and business leaders.

Today, Scarborough serves as host of Morning Joe weekdays on MSNBC, where he interviews top newsmakers and politicians and provides in-depth analysis of the day's biggest stories. He is also the host of The Joe Scarborough Show on ABC radio stations across the country. Scarborough offers radio listeners thought-provoking commentary on the day's leading issues and features many of the same A-list guests his television audience has come to expect.

He is the author of two books: The Last Best Hope (2009) and Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day (2004). The Last Best Hope tells Republican party bosses what they don't want to hear, explains why Democrats are making matters worse and then shows leaders of both parties the way forward. The books draws on the forgotten genius of conservatism to offer a road map for the movement and the country. Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day predicted the collapse of the Republican majority and U.S. economy due to his party's reckless spending.

Previously, Scarborough hosted Scarborough Country in primetime on MSNBC and was the publisher and editor of the award-winning newspaper The Florida Sun.

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