KU News Release

Media advisory: Dole Institute to host conference on midterm election results

LAWRENCE — The Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas is bringing together 21 political experts, national and regional, to discuss the results and impact of the 2006 midterm elections.

More than 75 guests have been invited to attend the conference, including KU faculty and students and community members. Members of the public were chosen by lottery from those who indicated an interest in attending.

This is not a public event, but the media is invited to attend. Bring proof of media affiliation.

The conference will consist of three panels over two days at the Dole Institute, 2350 Petefish Drive. The regional panel will take place from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7. The first national panel will be 4 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7. The second national panel will be 8 to 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 8.

National panel:

— Dan Balz, national political correspondent, Washington Post
— Bill Burton, communications director, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
— Peter Brown, assistant director, Quinnipiac University Polling Institute; former political journalist and editor in Washington, D.C., Florida and New England
— Chris Esposito, Emily’s List
— Joe Gaylord, president, Chesapeake Associates; GOP strategist; former executive director, National Republican Congressional Committee; adviser to former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich
— Joe Lenski, executive vice president and co-founder, Edison Media Research; exit pollster for major television networks
— Scott Reed, chairman and founder, Chesapeake Enterprises; GOP strategist; former executive director of the Republican National Committee; campaign manager, Dole for President ’96
— Alan Secrest, president and CEO, Cooper & Secrest Associates Inc.; Democratic pollster
— Jerry Seib, bureau chief, the Wall Street Journal, Washington, D.C.
— Ray Strother, principal and co-founder, Strother-Duffy-Strother; national Democratic media and message strategist
— Jill Zuckman, chief congressional correspondent, Chicago Tribune

Regional panel:

— Barbara Ballard, associate director, Dole Institute; Kansas State Representative; member of Democratic House Leadership team (caucus chair); vice president, National Black Caucus of State Legislators
— Bob Beatty, associate professor of political science, Washburn University; public affairs producer and moderator for Kansas public television
— John Hanna, correspondent, Associated Press, Topeka
— Gregg Keller, campaign manager, Talent for U.S. Senate
— David Kensinger, Kensinger & Associates Inc., governmental affairs consultant
— Steve Kraske, columnist, Kansas City Star; host, “Up to Date” on KCUR-FM
— Fred Logan, Logan & Logan, L.C. attorneys; political analyst for KCTV-5, Kansas City
— Micheal Mahoney, reporter, KMBC Channel 9, Kansas City
— Sen. Derek Schmidt, Kansas Senate Majority Leader
— Roy Temple, partner, The Feldman Group, a Washington-based polling firm; Democratic consultant

Moderators for the national panel:

— William Lacy, director, Dole Institute; White House political director, President Ronald Reagan; national Republican strategist
— Jonathan Earle, associate director, Dole Institute; KU professor of history; Ray Allen Billington Professor, Occidental College

Moderators for the regional panel:

— Burdett Loomis, KU professor of political science; author; columnist/commentator on national and state politics
— Steven Jacques, director of programming and communications, Dole Institute; former senior fellow, Dole Institute; member of Clinton and Carter administrations; national Democratic strategist

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