Veteran Washington insiders and political commentators Bob Beckel and Tucker Carlson will headline the political panel at the 2016 Big “I” Legislative Conference in April.
Beckel, a Democrat strategist, is a commentator for CNN and served on numerous presidential campaigns and administrations. Carlson, known for his perspective from the right, is a veteran journalist and political commentator who co-hosts the show “Fox and Friends Weekend” on Fox News Channel. Robert Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO, will moderate the political panel, which will take place Friday, April 15 at 8:30 a.m. ET at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel.
“Bob Beckel and Tucker Carlson are two of the most animated and well-respected political voices in the country,” Rusbuldt says. “They bring intellectual curiosity and perspective to the national political debate.”
Beckel is a CNN commentator and co-columnist for USA Today’s “Common Ground.” He has decades of experience in the White House, on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail. After beginning his political career on Robert Kennedy’s 1968 campaign and serving in the Carter administration as deputy assistant secretary of state, Beckel went on to build a political resume that includes dozens of Democrat campaigns, including Walter Mondale’s presidential bid. Beckel is a sought-after voice from the left and has co-hosted and appeared on dozens of television shows, including FOX news, CNN’s “Crossfire,” CBS’s “This Morning” and CNN’s “Larry King Live.” Beckel is currently a graduate professor in advanced political strategy at George Washington University.
Carlson is a veteran journalist and political commentator. He is the co-host of “Fox and Friends Weekend” and the editor-in-chief of thedailycaller.com. Carlson joined Fox from MSNBC, where he hosted several programs. Previously, he was the co-host of “Crossfire” on CNN and also hosted a weekly public affairs program on PBS. A longtime writer and journalist, Carlson has reported from around the world and served as a columnist for New York magazine and Reader's Digest. He currently writes for Esquire and The New York Times magazine. Carlson began his journalism career at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper in Little Rock.
“Attendees at the Big ‘I’ Legislative Conference will learn from these insiders who have their fingers on the pulse of our nation’s political trends, leaders and decision-makers,” Rusbuldt says. “We look forward to insight from opposing sides of the political spectrum on the presidential and congressional races, as well as on a variety of issues critical to independent agents and brokers, such as health care, taxes, insurance regulation and much more.”