John Podhoretz

John Mordecai Podhoretz (/pɒdˈhɔːrᵻts/; born April 18, 1961) is an American writer. He is the editor of Commentary magazine, columnist for the New York Post, the author of several books on politics, and a former presidential speechwriter. 2Life and career Podhoretz was born in New York City, the son of conservative journalists Norman Podhoretz and Midge Decter; he is his mother's youngest child of four, and his father's youngest child of two. He grew up on the Upper West Side in New York City. He attended Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School and he received a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago in 1982. In 1986, he became a five-time champion on the game show Jeopardy!. Podhoretz served as speechwriter to former U.S. President Ronald Reagan as well as former President George H.W. Bush. He also served in the capacity of special assistant to White House Drug Czar William Bennett. He was co-founder as well of the White House Writers Group, a corporate speechwriting and public-relations firm in Washington, D.C. Podhoretz was a consultant for the popular television series The West Wing, including the controversial episode "Gaza" in season five, first broadcast on May 12, 2004. Podhoretz has contributed to a number of conservative publications, including National Review and the Weekly Standard, where he is a movie critic and was the magazine's deputy edito