Cat’s Roundtable on Sunday July 30, 2017

Congressman Stephen Allen Womack is the U.S. Representative for Arkansas’s 3rd congressional district since 2011. He is a Republican.  Prior to his election to Congress, Womack was Mayor of Rogers, Arkansas.   The Congressman serves on the Appropriations Committee and the Defense, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, Labor-Health and Human Services subcommittees, as well as the House Budget Committee.  He is a member of the Whip Team and various caucuses.  The Congressman was in the radio business prior to his election.  His father established KURM Radio, and the Congressman served as station manager from 1979-1990.  In August of 1990, Steve accepted an assignment with the University of Arkansas Army ROTC program and served as Executive Officer of the program for six years.  On November 3, 1998, Steve was elected Mayor of Rogers, AR. and served in that capacity for twelve years.  During his tenure, the City of Rogers experienced exponential economic growth, adding $1 billion in new development with major improvements to the city’s infrastructure, retail services, and quality of life amenities.  Steve retired with over thirty years of service from the Arkansas Army National Guard October 31, 2009, at the rank of Colonel. 

Dick Morris is arguably one of most prominent American political consultant, Dick Morris is credited almost universally with piloting Bill Clinton to a stunning comeback re-election victory in 1996 after the president lost Congress to the Republicans two years before.  Dick Morris served as Bill Clinton’s political consultant for twenty years.  A regular political commentator on Fox News and other networks, he is the author of six New York Times bestsellers.  Called “the most influential private citizen in America” by Time magazine, Morris also has handled the winning campaigns for more than 30 senators or governors.   Morris writes weekly column published in newspapers all over the United States.  Morris has written many books, including his 1997 best-selling memoir of the Clinton administration, “Behind the Oval Office, Winning the Presidency in the Nineties.” His latest is “Power Grab: Obama’s Dangerous Plan for a One Party Nation.”  Books by Dick Morris.   His latest book coming out in mid August of 2017 is entitled: Rogue Spooks  The Intelligence War on Donald Trump 

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich is the former Speaker of the House of Representatives. After the 1994 mid-term elections – Newt Gingrich became the first Republican Speaker of the House in 40 years. While he was House speaker – the House enacted welfare reform – passed a capital gains tax cut in 1997 – and in 1998 passed the first balanced budget since 1969. Since leaving the House – Gingrich has remained active in public policy debates and works as a political consultant and network political analyst. Speaker Gingrich along with his wife Callista have produced have a film about our first President George Washington. The documentary entitled “The first American” was shown at Mt. Vernon, Washington’s home, in May of last year. Mr. Gingrich is proving to be President elect Trump’s most sage outside advisor. Speaker Gingrich released a new book entitled “Understanding Trump.” His book party was held at Federal Hall, New York where George Washington was first sworn in.

Dr. Phil Stieg, head of neurosurgery and chair of Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Spine Center.  He is a world-renowned neurosurgeon with expertise in cerebrovascular disorders and skull base surgery. He is the Chairman and founder of the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center, the leading neuroscience patient care center in New York City.  In 2010 Dr. Stieg launched the Weill Cornell Surgical Innovations Lab, the first global multimedia neurosurgical teaching facility in the world.  Dr. Stieg is a widely published author and internationally known lecturer, and has been named by Castle Connolly Medical as one of the nation’s Top Doctors for 15 years in a row. He is currently the president of the Brain Tumor Foundation, and president of the New York board of the American Heart Association. He was the creator and host of the successful NPR radio show “How to Save Your Life.” Dr. serves as an advisor to the Defense Department on brain injury. 

Betsy McCaughey was the 72nd Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1995 to 1998.  She has been a fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute and Hudson Institute think tanks. She founded the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID) in reaction to a rise in anti-biotic resistant infections.  A historian by training – with a Ph.D. from Columbia University – McCaughey has – over the years – provided conservative media commentary on U.S. public policy affecting healthcare-related issues. She has been a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and Hudson Institutes.  Her website “Rid Hospitals of Infections can be found here.   Stop Hospital Infections   Ms. McCaughey published an OP-ED in the July 25, 2017 New York Post entitled: Stop making doctors the slaves of computers

John Chachas began as a banker at First Boston, where he rose to managing director of the firm’s Media Group.  In 2000, he joined Lazard as a managing director and co-head of the firm’s Media Advisory practice in the Americas.  Chachas has served an advisor to media and emerging digital companies. He advised the board on the $18 billion buyout of Clear Channel Communications, the Walt Disney Company on its 2006 sale of its ABC Radio business, and the Hearst Corporation on its go-private transaction of Hearst-Argyle Television in 2009 among others.  In 2010, Chachas left Lazard to become a candidate for the U.S. Senate in the Republican primary race in his home state of Nevada.  After his unsuccessful Senate race Chachas returned to New York and founded Methuselah Advisors.  Since the formation of Methuselah, he has served as a financial advisor to several of the country’s largest media organizations, including Tribune Company throughout its bankruptcy from 2009 until its emergence in 2012. He advised Journal Communications on its $2.2 billion spin-merger combination with the newspaper and broadcaster, E.W. Scripps.   In 2015, Methuselah represented Journal Media Group on its $300 million sale to Gannett.

Congressman Peter King – a Republican – is serving his twelfth term in the U.S. House of Representatives – last reelected with 68.5% of the vote – – the highest margin of any Congressional candidate on Long Island.  Congressman King is a leading authority on terrorism and cyber security.  Congressman King is a member of the Homeland Security Committee and Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. He also serves on the Financial Services Committee and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Congressman King – has been a leader in the ongoing effort to have Homeland Security funding based on threat analysis and is a strong supporter of the war against international terrorism – both at home and abroad.

Joe Lhota is the new MTA chairman.. again.  He  joined the administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1994, where he held several positions over Giuliani’s two terms. He first served as chief of staff to the deputy mayor for finance and economic development and that year was quickly promoted to New York City finance commissioner.  In 1995, he was selected as director of the office of management and budget.  In 1998, Giuliani appointed Lhota to deputy mayor for operations.  Lhota served as Mayor Giuliani’s liaison to the White House, United States Congress, governor of New York, New York State Legislature and New York City Council.  In June 2017, Lhota was nominated by Cuomo to return to Chairman of the MTA.  Lhota will remain at NYU Langone where he is a top executive, as he will not be the day-to-day executive of the MTA, that being Veronique Hakim.  Joe Lhota’s actions during hurricane Sandy in 2012 literally saved the subway system when he foresaw the force of the storm and moved the entire system to high ground.

Nassau District Attorney Madeline Singas is the District Attorney of Nassau County.  She was elected to succeed former prosecutor Kathleen Rice who was elected to Congress.  Madeline supervises more than 350 employees and prosecutes 30,000 criminal cases each year.  Singas was an assistant district attorney with two decades of experience prosecuting sex crimes and instances of child abuse – domestic violence and homicide.  Madeline also has significant experience managing prosecutorial resources – personnel – and investigative decision-making. For the past five years – Madeline has been the bureau chief of DA Rice’s Special Victims Bureau – where her dramatic transformation of the bureau has not only led to high-profile trial convictions of murderers and rapists – but also higher conviction rates and tougher jail sentences for sex predators and domestic and child abusers. Prior to her service in Nassau County – Madeline worked as an assistant district attorney in Queens County – where she swiftly rose through the ranks to eventually serve as a deputy bureau chief for DA Richard Brown’s Domestic Violence Bureau. She began her career in the Queens County District Attorney’s Office in 1991.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis – is an announced candidate for Mayor of New York, 2017.  She is a Republican and was elected to the New York State Assembly on in 2010.   Her district includes all of Staten Island and a large portion of Brooklyn.  Assemblywoman Malliotakis was recently named the State Chairman for the Marco Rubio Presidential campaign.  She is the daughter of immigrants – her father from Greece and her mother a Cuban exile of the Castro dictatorship.  She was the first Hispanic-American elected from Richmond County. She was re-elected to her third term in November 2014 with an overwhelming 73 percent of the vote.  Recovery from Hurricane Sandy has become a hallmark of her tenure as an elected official. Nicole’s district – which encompasses the eastern shore of Staten Island – was among the hardest hit by the October 2012 storm.  She is also a passionate advocate for animal rights and strengthening animal cruelty laws.