TRAVERSE CITY -- President Barack Obama has a "heavy agenda" both inside the United States and abroad, said a veteran reporter who for decades covered and commented on top national stories.
Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post political correspondent David Broder will speak Thursday at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City. He will discuss U.S. foreign policy under Obama's administration.
"I'll make the point that in the first three, four, five months of his presidency, public opinion and public agenda was focused on the economy and that bumped issues back on the foreign policy side," Broder said.
But there are significant issues between the United States and the rest of the world that can't long be ignored, he said. There's the question of defensive missles in Eastern Europe that are opposed by Russia, plus tariffs on Chinese imports balked at by that nation.
And not the least of concerns: wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the most prominent foreign policy cliffhanger, Broder said.
"The No. 1 topic will be what in the hell are we going to do about Iran?" he said.
Broder, 80, writes a regular column about American political life, carried globally by more than 300 newspapers, including the Record-Eagle. He also keeps a summer home on Charlevoix County's Beaver Island.
Broder has been described as the most influential political journalist in the country. He reported on every national election campaign and convention since 1960, repeatedly crisscrossing the country to interview voters and report on candidates. He joined the staff at the Washington Post in 1966 and since won numerous writing awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for distinguished commentary.
Among those excited to hear Broder speak is John Zachman, who teaches political science at NMC. Broder's history of political reporting can benefit today's students, Zachman said.
"He's a very thoughtful political commentator," he said. "He really knows his stuff and backs up his positions with data. He's a model for how to approach political analysis and political problem-solving for students."
NMC's journalism students also will benefit from Broder's lecture, said Michael Anderson, who teaches journalism and advises NMC's student newspaper staff.
"He is a journalistic giant and it's important for students of journalism to be exposed to journalists famous in their field," Anderson said. "He represents the dedication and love with which many journalists do their work."
Broder was scheduled to speak at NMC in May, but canceled because of illness. His appearance is the first in NMC's latest eight-part series called the International Affairs Forum.
If you go
Who: David Broder, Washington Post political columnist
What: He will speak about current U.S. foreign policy
Where: Milliken Auditorium, Northwestern Michigan College
When: Thursday at 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 per person
More information or tickets: Call 231-995-1700
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