It is an enormous honor to host Russell Feingold in conversation with Robert Greenwald. Former Senator Russ Feingold served in the United States Senate for 18 distinguished years, and held posts on the Judiciary, Budget, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees. A passionate believer in campaign finance reform, he crossed the aisle to author a bill with Senator John McCain, the McCain Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act. Feingold lost his seat in 2010, but has not slowed his efforts in campaign finance reform, believing that special interests and corporate influence must be limited to preserve democracy.
Former Senator Feingold was always known and respected for his independence; he does not automatically bow to the President’s wishes, and fights for more basic progressive initiatives. He was the only Senator to oppose the Patriot Act, and he was the first Senator to propose an exit date for Iraq, and called for one in Afghanistan. He now heads Progressives United, an organization of education and advocacy, built to keep the national dialog focused on some specific progressive ideas: income equality—that America’s wealthiest must pay their fair share in taxes; Wall Street and banking reform—that lenders should be denied immunity for the foreclosure crisis which they precipitated. The world in 2012 is a dramatically different place from what it was in 2001. The United States is a dramatically different country from what it was in 2001. His new book, While America Sleeps, explores the new world we find ourselves in post 9/11: according to Feingold, we have made some serious mistakes about our approach to terrorism, and suggests ways to modify our missteps for greater security at home and internationally.
Robert Greenwald, activist and progressive, created Brave New Films to deal with many of the same issues that interest Feingold: corporate malfeasance, the debacle that was the war in Iraq, the runaway war in Afghanistan, and so much more. Brave New Films’ short videos on candidates who don’t really tell the truth have been viewed online more than 56 million times. He has made documentary films that create critical conversations about critical issues and has made an enormous difference in our understanding of wars, commerce, campaigns and health care.
At Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills. 300 N. Clark Drive, Beverly Hills. (One block west of Robertson, three blocks north of Wilshire.) Tickets, $20. For reservations, click here or e-mail reservations@writersblocpresents.com .