Hon. Charles Wilson
Former Member of the U.S. Congress (D-Tx) and inspiration for the book and movie Charlie Wilson's War
In the early summer of 1980, Congressman Charlie Wilson, a self-described news junkie, read an Associated Press dispatch describing hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing Afghanistan due to the Soviet invasion and occupation. This is how the story that was the subject of the 2003 best-selling book Charlie Wilson's War, by George Crile III began. The book was later made into an award-winning movie of the same title starring Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julia Roberts.
On that summer day, very few, including those in the U.S. government, were paying attention to the situation in Afghanistan. After reading the AP dispatch Wilson, a new member of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, picked up a phone and called the Appropriations Committee staffer who dealt with "black appropriations" (CIA funds) and ordered him to double the current appropriation for Afghanistan, beginning his long fight championing the cause of the Afghan people.
Without Wilson, the then-Soviet Union would have most likely crushed the Afghan resistance. Although many are not aware of it, Wilson was instrumental in the defeat of the Soviet Union by his efforts to secure money needed to supply the Afghan Mujahadeen.
Gordon Bethune
Former CEO and Chairman of Continental Airlines "The nimbler are those that can change. The nimble will do well and the ones that can't change will go by the by."
Gordon M. Bethune earned worldwide acclaim at Continental Airlines for spearheading one of the most dramatic corporate turnarounds in United States history. When he joined the troubled carrier as president and chief operating officer in February of 1994, Continental consistently ranked last in every measurable performance metric, including on-time performance, customer complaints and mishandled baggage.
Gordon quickly assumed the role of chief executive officer in November 1994, and was elected chairman of the board of directors in September 1996. His effort to rescue the financially troubled carrier from a seemingly irreversible tailspin, as chronicled in his best-selling business novel From Worst to First, has made him a legend in commercial aviation. At each step, he never failed to recognize the hard work of Continental's employees and credit them for the airline's progress. Continental went on to thrive under his leadership, winning more awards for customer satisfaction from J.D. Power and Associates than any other airline. Fortune magazine named Continental among the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for six consecutive years. In his final year piloting the airline to success Fortune magazine ranked Continental the No. 1 Most Admired Global Airline.
BusinessWeek named Gordon one of the top 25 global managers for 1996, and in 1997, Aviation Week & Space Technology, along with the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, honored him with the Laureate in Aviation trophy. Gordon was ranked among the 50 best CEOs in America by Worth magazine in 1999, 2000 and 2001. A native Texan, he was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2004, the Wings Club honored Gordon with the Distinguished Achievement Award, a distinction shared with other past recipients including Neil Armstrong, Robert F. Six, President George H.W. Bush, Fred Smith and Herb Kelleher.
Prior to joining Continental, Bethune was vice president and general manager of the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group's Renton Division, where he was responsible for the 737 and 757 airplanes. He began his career with Boeing in 1988, and also served as that company's vice president and general manager of the customer services division.
Before joining Boeing, Bethune held a number of senior management positions in commercial airlines, including vice president engineering and maintenance for Braniff and Western Airlines, and senior vice president operations for Piedmont Airlines. He also has served as a U.S. Navy Aircraft Maintenance Officer.
Bethune holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas and is a 1992 graduate of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program. In addition, he holds honorary doctorate degrees from the College of Aeronautics, Farleigh Dickinson University and Montclair State University. He is a licensed commercial pilot, type-rated on Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft as well as the DC-3. Bethune also is licensed as an airframe and power plant mechanic. He serves on the boards of directors of Honeywell International Corporation, Sprint Nextel Corporation, Prudential Financial, and the New York Academy of Arts. Gordon is also a member of the Board of Governors for the Wings Club in New York City where he served as President from 1999-2001. He currently serves as a Contributor for CNBC. Bethune retired from Continental at the end of 2004.
Charlie Cook
Publisher of the Cook Political Report and Commentator on U.S. Elections and Political Trends
Widely regarded as one of the nation's keenest litmus testers on U.S. elections and political trends, Charlie Cook is the publisher of The Cook Political Report and a political analyst for National Journal magazine and CongressDailyAM. He also writes a regular column for the Washington Quarterly, published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and is a political analyst for NBC News.
Cook's expertise has been featured on the ABC, CBS, and NBC evening news programs, as well as on Good Morning America, the Today show, Nightline, Meet the Press with Tim Russert, and This Week. He is also a welcome fixture on CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, CSPAN, CNN, and National Public Radio. Before joining the National Journal Group in 1998, Cook wrote a twice-weekly column in Roll Call, Capitol Hill's premier newspaper. Charlie also served as an election night analyst for CBS in 1990 and 1992, and for NBC in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004.
The New York Times said of Cook "...one of the best political handicappers in the nation" and noted that The Cook Political Report is "a newsletter that both parties regard as authoritative," while Bob Schieffer of CBS News refers to it as "the bible of the political community." David Broder of The Washington Post has written that Charlie Cook is "perhaps the best non-partisan tracker of Congressional races."
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