New columnist joins GV News

Michael Gerson today joins the op-ed columnists for the Green Valley News.

He is a member of the Washington Post Writers Group which describes him as marching “a path of true conviction —conviction nurtured during his two years at U.S. News and World Report where he covered such topics as philanthropy and civil society. Then as head speechwriter and policy for George W. Bush from 1999 until 2006. Gerson became the voice of ‘compassionate conservatism’ within the White House, taking stands on the need to combat poverty, prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa and elsewhere, and confront racial inequality.”

Gerson was born in New Jersey in 1964, grew up in St. Louis, studied theology at Weaton College in Illinois, worked for the Prison Fellowship Ministries founded by Watergate figure Charles Colson, was policty director for then-Sen. Daniel Coats of Indiana, adviser to Jack Kemp, speechwriter in Bob Dole’s presidential campaign, and since 2006 a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He and his wife have two sons.

Columnist Mark Shields will appear from time to time.