November 2008 'Wittiest Political Journalist in America' to Speak at NUI Galway

'The Politics of the 2008 Election: How America Has Changed' NUI Galway Law Society will host American political commentator and columnist Mark Shields on Thursday, 20 November, for what promises to be an informative and entertaining evening. He will deliver an address entitled 'The Politics of the 2008 Election: How America has Changed', at 8pm in the Cairnes Theatre, NUI Galway. Named by the Wall Street Journal as the 'wittiest political journalist in America', Shields will share his opinions of the 2008 election, the victory of President-Elect Barack Obama, and his past experiences in a career spanning eight presidents. Mark Sheilds has worked as a political analyst on 'News Hour with Jim Lehrer' for nearly two decades and appearing frequently as a commentator on CNN. In 1979, he began writing his column on national politics for The Washington Post, a column which is now distributed nationally. Peter Mannion, the current Auditor of the Law Society at NUI Galway, met Mark Shields when he spent the summer as an intern for Barack Obama: "Meeting Mark Shields was one of the high lights of my summer in Washington. He offers a unique insight in to American politics with his wealth of experience and hilarious wit. It promises to be a great night at NUI Galway". Peter was in the US as part of the Washington Ireland Program for Service and Leadership (WIP) which is sponsoring Mark Sheilds' visit to NUI Galway. WIP brings outstanding university students from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to Washington DC for summer internships and leadership training. Students gain valuable practical experience by completing internships in US government, media, business and non-profit organisations. Over 380 students have participated in the WIP program since its foundation in 1995, including 12 students from NUI Galway. Mark Shields is also the author of On the Campaign Trail, a narrative account which documents the 1984 presidential race. Prior to becoming a journalist, Shields worked on a number of political campaigns including Robert Kennedy's campaign in 1968 where he acted as Kennedy's California State Director. In 1988 he contributed to the political coverage that won a Peabody Award for 'The News Hour'. He has also provided election analysis for CBS and NBC. For further information on the event contact Louise Hamilton of the NUI Galway Law Society, on 086 0734033 or email nuiglawsociety@gmail.com -ends-