Ronald Kessler

Ronald Borek Kessler (born December 31, 1943) is an American journalist and author. He is chief Washington correspondent of the conservative news and commentary website Newsmax.com.

Personal life

Kessler was born in New York City in 1943. He attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts from 1962 to 1964, before embarking on a career in journalism. He is married and has two children.citation| contribution = Ronald Kessler| title= Marquis Who's Who in America, 2007| publisher = Marquis Who's Who Inc.| year = 2006| isbn = 0837970067]

Journalism

Early career

Kessler began his career in 1964 as a reporter with the "Worcester Telegram", followed by three years as an investigative reporter and editorial writer with the "Boston Herald". In 1968, he joined the "Wall Street Journal" as a reporter in the New York bureau. During these years, his reporting won awards from the American Political Science Association (public affairs reporting award, 1965), United Press International (1967) and the Associated press (Sevellon Brown Memorial award, 1967).

Washington Post

In 1970 Kessler joined the Washington Post as an investigative reporter and continued as a staff writer until 1985.Cite web|title = Ronald Kessler Biography| url = http://www.newsmax.com/kessler/bio/| publisher = NewsMax| accessdate = 2008-03-22] In 1972, he won a George Polk Memorial award for "Community Service" because of two series of articles he wrote—one on conflicts of interest and mismanagement at Washington area non-profit hospitals, and a second series exposing kickbacks among lawyers, title insurance companies, realtors, and lenders in connection with real estate settlements, inflating the cost of buying homes.cite web|title = Scandal Series Wins Prize|url=http://www.newspaperarchive.com/newspapers1/na0036/6773074/30599205.html| date = 1973-02-01| publisher = Oakland Tribune|accessdate = 2008-03-22] cite news |first= Susanna|last=McBee |title= Reporter Is Cited For GSA Articles |url= |work= Washington Post |publisher= |date=1979-02-12 |accessdate=2008-03-23 ] He was also named a Washingtonian of the Year by "Washingtonian" magazine that year. [cite web|url = http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/6414.html | title = Past Washingtonians of the Year| publisher = Washingtonian| accessdate = 2008-03-26] In 1979, Kessler won a second Polk Award, this one for "National Reporting" for a series of articles exposing corruption in the General Services Administration; he won even though his editor, Ben Bradlee, had not submitted his stories for consideration.cite web| title = A History of Journalistic Integrity, Superb Reporting and Protecting the Public: The George Polk Awards in Journalism |last = Hershey|first = Edward| url = http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/polk/history.html| publisher= Long Island University|accessdate = 2008-03-22]

Newsmax

In June, 2006 Kessler became chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax, a conservative website and magazine. [cite web |title=Ronald Kessler Joins NewsMax |url=http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/6/5/164954.shtml |publisher=NewsMax |date=2006-06-06 |accessdate=2008-03-22] He writes the "Washington Insider" column for the publication, and his stories for Newsmax have included interviews with President Bush, Donald Trump, Andy Card, CIA Director Michael Hayden, Mitt Romney, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Lynne Cheney, Jim Cramer, Deborah Norville, Dana Perino, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III, Brian Lamb, Margaret Spellings, Juan Williams, Jeb Bush Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan, and Fran Townsend.cite web |title=Washington Insider with Ronald Kessler Archive |publisher=NewsMax |url=http://www.newsmax.com/kessler/archive/ |accessdate=2008-03-22] Kessler also writes "Wall Street Journal" op-eds, including "The Real Joe McCarthy," which attacked efforts by some conservative writers to vindicate the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy. [cite news |first=Ronald |last=Kessler |title=The Real Joe McCarthy |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120882522444233275.html |work=Opinion |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |date=2008-04-22 |accessdate=2008-04-25 ]

Author

After leaving the "Washington Post", Kessler authored seventeen nonfiction books on politics and current affairs. Three of his books reached the general nonfiction New York Times Best Seller list: "Laura Bush" (2006), a biography of the first lady; "A Matter of Character" (2004), an admiring look at George W. Bush's presidency; and "Inside the White House" (1995), a behind-the-scenes expose of presidencies from Lyndon B. Johnson to Bill Clinton. A fourth book, "The Season" (1999), an investigative report of the lives of millionaires in Palm Beach, Florida, made the bestseller list for business books. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?query=%22ronald+kessler%22+%22best+sellers%22&srchst=nyt&d=&o=&v=&c=&sort=closest&n=10&dp=0&daterange=full&frow=0 "New York Times" search query] ]

Controversy

In an article for Newsmax, on March 16, 2008, Kessler incorrectly reported that Senator Barack Obama attended a service at Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ on July 22, 2007, during which Rev. Jeremiah Wright gave a sermon that blamed world suffering on "white arrogance."cite news | first=Ronald |last=Kessler |title=Obama Attended Hate America Sermon |url=http://newsmax.com/kessler/Obama_hat%20e_America_sermon/2008/03/16/80870.html |publisher=Newsmax |date=2008-03-16 |accessdate=2008-03-17] The story appeared in the context of a week in which the news media focused intently on Wright's sermons in their coverage of Obama's presidential campaign. Kessler's false report was cited by Bill Kristol in a "New York Times'" op-ed piece [cite news |first=William |last=Kristol |title=Generation Obama? Perhaps Not. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/opinion/17kristol.html?_r=1&oref=slogin |publisher=The New York Times |date=2008-03-17 |accessdate=2008-03-17] and, months later, in The Obama Nation by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth associate Jerome Corsi. [cite news |first=Jim |last=Rutenberg |title=Book Attacking Obama Hopes to Repeat ’04 Anti-Kerry Feat |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/us/politics/13book.html |publisher=The New York Times |date=2008-08-12 |accessdate=2008-08-12] The Obama campaign denied that Obama had attended the church on the day that sermon was delivered and other reporters discovered that Obama was in fact in transit to Miami, Florida on that day. [cite news |title=Schedule Puts Obama in Miami During July ‘07 Wright Sermon|url=http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/03/17/report-places-obama-at-controversial-july-07-wright-sermon-official-schedule-places-him-in-miami/ |publisher=Fox News |date=2008-03-17 |accessdate=2008-03-17] Kristol posted a correction and an apology at the online version of his article later in the day. [cite news |title=Kristol Admits Another Error -- This One on Obama Smear |url=http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003726581 |publisher=Editor and Publisher |date=2008-03-17 |accessdate=2008-03-17] Newsmax posted a "clarification" standing by the story, suggesting that perhaps the sermon occurred on a different day in July. Shortly after the controversy broke, Kessler attempted to remove information documenting it from his Wikipedia biography. [cite news |title=Newsmax's Kessler Scrubs Reference To His Obama Factual Blunder From His Wiki Page|url=http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/newsmaxs_kessler_scrubs_refere.php|accessdate=2008-03-18]

Books

*"The Life Insurance Game" (1985)
*"The Richest Man in the World: The Story of Adnan Khashoggi" (1986)
*"Spy vs. Spy: Stalking Soviet Spies in America" (1988)
*"Moscow Station: How the KGB Penetrated the American Embassy" (1989)
*"The Spy in the Russian Club: How Glenn Souther Stole America’s Nuclear War Plans and Escaped to Moscow" (1990)
*"Escape from the CIA: How the CIA Won and Lost the Most Important Spy Ever to Defect to the U.S." (1991)
*"Inside the CIA: Revealing the Secrets of the World’s Most Powerful Spy Agency" (1992)
*"The FBI: Inside the World’s Most Powerful Law Enforcement Agency" (1993)
*"Inside the White House: The Hidden Lives of the Modern Presidents and the Secrets of the World’s Most Powerful Institution" (1995)
*"The Sins of the Father: Joseph P. Kennedy and the Dynasty He Founded" (1996)
*"Inside Congress: The Shocking Scandals, Corruption, and Abuse of Power Behind the Scenes on Capitol Hill" (1997)
*"The Season: Inside Palm Beach and America's Richest Society" (1999)
*"The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI" (2002)
*"The CIA at War: Inside the Secret Campaign Against Terror" (2003)
*"A Matter of Character: Inside the White House of George W. Bush" (2004)
*"Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady" (2006)
*"The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack" (2007)

References

External links

* [http://www.ronaldkessler.com/ Kessler's personal website]
* [http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=163931&title=ronald-kessler&byDate=true Appearance on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"]
* [http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=8869&SectionName=&PlayMedia=No Talk on C-SPAN's Book TV: "The Terrorist Watch."]