The People Speak Radio

Since 2004, Tom has helped to launch a political and social movement in this country that is credited with shifting the national debate about America’s moral priorities. He helped found FaithfulAmerica.org and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, which bring together faith communities to fight for children’s health care, supporting a higher minimum wage, environmental stewardship, and responsible solutions in Iraq. Inspired by the prophetic vision of Dr. King, Wilberforce, and Micah, Tom believes that America must reverse the erosion of our commitment to the common good and restore our understanding that our nation rises or falls together.

The Issues

Economic Fairness

Tom will fight to ensure that all hard-working Americans are guaranteed a living wage and secure retirement. Parents should have time to spend with their families instead of having to work multiple jobs just to put food on the table. Tom will end the practice of giving tax breaks to companies that take American jobs overseas and will make sure that corporations and CEOs are held accountable for their actions.

Healthcare

Every American deserves access to a doctor, and none of our elderly should ever have to face the soul-crushing choice of whether to buy medicine for a spouse or put food on the table. Furthermore, our employers should not be burdened with healthcare costs that put them at a disadvantage to their competitors in other countries.

Education and Job Training

There is no higher calling for government than to help its people reach their God-given potential, and there are few better ways to do that than to ensure that all our children receive a quality education. We must support our local teachers and help recruit and retain new ones. We must develop better ways of evaluating our schools to encourage a focus on knowledge and learning. Educational opportunities must begin earlier and continue later in life by prioritizing a pre-K year, affordable and accessible college education and vocational training, and the lifelong skills training required to ensure American workers remain competitive in the global economy.

National Security

Americans are less safe today than on September 12th because of the decisions made by this Administration and many in Congress. Tom has spent much of his career fighting for justice-based security solutions in Western Africa, Darfur, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and he will apply the expertise he gained by focusing on results instead of rhetoric in Congress.

Oil Independence

Our national security, our climate, and our economic competitiveness demand that we achieve independence from fossil fuels during this generation. Our leaders have lacked the courage to do what is necessary to make our country safe and to encourage the “dot-com” boom of the next generation—alternative energy and efficiency technologies. Tom will ensure that the farmers, businesses, and consumers of the 5th District have the tools and the incentives to lead America through this challenge.

Ron Kovic was born on July 4, 1946, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin and grew up in Massapequa, New York. His autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July, was adapted as an Academy Award winning film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Tom Cruise as Kovic. Academy Award winning Actress Jane Fonda has stated that Ron Kovic’s story was the inspiration for her film Coming Home.

Bobby Muller, Bill Wieman, Mark Clevinger, and Ron Kovic were criticized by Republicans at the 1972 Republican National Convention. Kovic was a speaker at the 1976 Democratic National Convention.

During the filming of his autobiography Ron reconciled with his parents. In November 2003 he joined protests in London against the visit of George W. Bush and remains an outspoken critic of the Iraq War.

FRANK CAVESTANI was raised in New York City. He made his theatrical debut as Shelley Winters’ co-star in James Bridge’s “Days of the Dancing.” Broadway audience saw him in June Havoc’s “Marathon ’33.” Off-Broadway, he triumphed in Gregory Rozakis’ “Orestes” and Murray Medick’s “Are You Looking?” Frank moved into motion pictures and television as a star and co-star, co-starring on CBS’ “Defenders” with E.G. Marshall when he was still in his teens and in Andy Warhol’s wild epic “Women In Revolt” with the brilliant Candy Darling.

Frank became involved in videotape productions and screen writing. In the early seventies, he was project director for Space Video, a company which produced experimental and educational videotapes; and for Deafness Research helped develop the insertion of signing in the television image. He later became a producer/director for MPCS Communications doing commercial videotape production for such clients as Vidal Sassoon, BBD&O, J. Walter Thompson, and the U.S. Postal Service.

Frank produced and directed his own film, “Operation Last Patrol,” a one-hour documentary about the exploits of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic and won an award at the Popoli Film Festival in Italy and the Leipzig Film Festival in Germany; and in now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern art in New York. He later became a technical advisor on Oliver Stone’s feature film “Born on the Fourth of July” about Ron Kovic.

He also co-produced, wrote and directed “Supervision,” with Harold Ramis, Billy Murray and Michael Shamberg, a 17-part historical comedy series, for KCET and “Gerald Ford’s” America,”, a 4-part documentary, for PBS. Frank had directed over fifty documentaries of performances from Lincoln Center to Off-Broadway, theater, concerts and ballets, to prime time comedy series “Head of the Class”, for network television. His video work has been shown in museums internationally including: The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas, Venezuela, and Long Beach Museum of Art, in California.

Frank’s screen writing talents can be seen on television on CBS’s movie “Sentimental Journey” starring Jaclyn Smith and David Dukes. Currently Frank is still acting, writing and doing television production; and living with his wife Jade and his young daughter Samantha in Hollywood, California.

Both Ron and Frank will be at the memorial event of the Kent State shootings that occurred on May 4th, 1970.

Leuren Moret has conducted research concerning the impact on the health of the environment and global public health from atmospheric testing, nuclear power plants, and depleted uranium. She has helped collect and measure radiation in 6000 baby teeth from children living around nuclear power plants, and helped the State of Louisiana (USA) pass the first state depleted uranium bill for mandatory testing of soldiers, with over 57 bills introduced in other states. Articles she wrote on DU were translated into Indian languages to increase awareness. Her article “Depleted Uranium: The Trojan Horse of Nuclear War” in the June 2004 WORLD AFFAIRS JOURNAL was translated at the request of the Kremlin for distribution throughout the Russian government.

The LONE STAR ICONOCLAST, hometown newspaper of President Bush, interviewed her for a series of interviews, “What is depleted uranium?“, which was attached to US Congressman McDermott’s 2005 depleted uranium bill HR 2410, the first DU bill to pass in the US Congress in October 2006. The newspaper did a second issue, March 1, 2006, titled “Have DU Will Travel“. Her City of Berkeley 2003 resolution banning weapons in space was followed by a Space Preservation Treaty Resolution adopted by seven sister cities in British Columbia, Canada, contributing to Prime Minister Paul Martin’s decision in February 2005 to abandon his secret agreement with President Bush to allow NMD in Canada. Her research on divestment of pension funds from US weapons manufacturers was discussed on a Vancouver radio station in April 2005. The interview helped to make divestment, of $4.6 billion (in 251 U.S. weapons manufacturers) in British Columbia (B.C.) pension funds, an issue for the May 2005 election platform in B.C. Leuren Moret is a Livermore nuclear weapons lab whistleblower, was an Environmental Commissioner in the City of Berkeley, and testifies as a depleted uranium expert in the documentary films BEYOND TREASON, BAGHDAD RAP, and BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND.

In February 2007, she was invited to speak at the International War Crimes Tribunal in Kuala Lumpur, sponsored by Tun Dr. Mahathir, former Prime Minister of Malaysia. As a medical doctor, he is the first world leader to publicly recognize that the global depleted uranium pollution of the atmosphere is the most important issue in the world today. As his official Diplomatic Representative she went on a speaking tour of SE Asia, warning about the contamination of the region from US bombing strikes in Iraq and Afghanistan, now synchronized with the monsoon cycle for maximum dispersion of radioactive materials on India, Central Asia, the Middle East and SE Asia. On her return to the U.S. in the Spring of 2007, she stopped in Hawaii and empowered the citizens to sponsor 20 depleted uranium bills in one legislative session, and to organize a citizens Geiger counter movement, monitoring depleted uranium contaminated bombing and gunnery ranges in Hawaii. This sparked a global Geiger counter movement, and the Chief of Police in New York City now wants a law passed that makes it illegal for citizens to own Geiger counters or air monitoring equipment, or to make measurements. New York City is still contaminated with radiation from the events of 911. Presently she is working on the Uranium Mining issue, which is at a crisis level globally, with many new Uranium mining projects planned which will contaminate air, water, soil, and food globally.

The format he introduced on November 6, 1967, as The Phil Donahue Show on WLWD-TV in Dayton, Ohio, launched the first audience participation television talk show and changed the face of American daytime television. For his outstanding contribution to television and American culture, Mr. Donahue was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame on November 20, 1993.

As host of DONAHUE, Mr. Donahue has presided over nearly 7,000 one-hour daily shows, many on-location broadcasts and several historic broadcasts from Russia.

Body of War is an intimate and transformational feature documentary about the true face of war today. Meet Tomas Young, 25 years old, paralyzed from a bullet to his spine - wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week.

Body of War is Tomas’ coming home story as he evolves into a new person, coming to terms with his disability and finding his own unique and passionate voice against the war. The film is produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, and features two original songs by Eddie Vedder. Body of War is a naked and honest portrayal of what it’s like inside the body, heart and soul of this extraordinary and heroic young man.

Please visit: http://www.BodyOfWar.com

Bruce Burgess, Director

Born in London in 1968, Bruce is a documentary filmmaker with 22 films under his belt. He is known for his reports and investigations into a wide range of mysteries, conspiracies and cover-ups.

Since his exposé of the secret Pentagon facility known as “Area 51” back in 1996, Bruce has both written, directed and hosted a series of well known documentary specials on subjects as diverse as ancient history, alien abductions, the British Royal family, CIA assassins and global terrorism.

His films have been shown on television in over 50 countries and include: “William: The Making of a King” (Granada Television & ITV), “Dreamland,” “The Uninvited,” “Impact Earth and the Lost Ark” (ITV, SKY and Discovery Networks International), “Raising the Titanic” (Carlton TV), “Sabina’s Story” (BBC2), “Bombs & Basques” (Channel 4, UK), “Stranger than Fiction” (Channel 5, UK), “The Bermuda Triangle,” “Solved & Broken Dagger” (TLC and Discovery Networks International), “Bulletcatchers” (ITV, UK) “Desert Blast” (Travel Channel), “William: Born to be King” (E! Network), “The Royal Soap Opera” (ABC) and “In Search of the Holy Grail” (Discovery and Channel 5).

In 2004, Bruce wrote and directed his first 35mm short film, “Rosbeef,” which premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

Rene Barnett – Producer

René is a former print journalist, radio broadcaster and television producer specializing in entertainment series, specials, documentaries and reality-based programming. She is a veteran producer whose television credits include some of the premiere specials, documentaries and pioneering series of the last decade including: “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” which enjoyed the biggest premiere in basic cable history on TBS, “Guinness World Records Primetime” for FOX and Rysher Entertainment’s internationally syndicated, “Strange Universe.” Additionally, René has produced programming for: NBC (“Unmasked: Exposing the Secrets of Deception”), HBO (“Panic!” and “Hollywood Animal Crusaders”), VH1, Discovery, TLC (“In Search of the Holy Grail”), Animal Planet (“Wild Rescues”), Lifetime (“New Attitudes”), SkyOne, Sci-Fi Channel (“Mad, Mad House”), Travel Channel (“Bigfootville”), PAX (“Places of Mystery”) and others.

In 2001, Bruce and René formed Bluebook Films, Inc., a Los Angeles-based documentary specialist and in 2005, 1244 Films LLC was founded to produce the team’s first independent feature documentary, BLOODLINE, she also serves as head of development and oversees all content for both companies. René has become a virtual expert on the bloodline conspiracy having begun her research shortly after reading Holy Blood, Holy Grail in 1982, which introduced the idea of the marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Given the success of The Da Vinci Code, she knew the timing was right to expand and unveil the research she has accumulated over the last 20 years.

Bilmes has written extensively on financial and budgetary issues, including the cost of the Iraq War, veterans’ health and disability costs, state and local employee pensions, and federal workforce reform. She is the author of “Soldiers Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan: The Long-term Costs of Providing Veterans Medical Care and Disability Benefits” and co-author (with Joseph Stiglitz) of The Economic Costs of The Iraq War: An Appraisal Three Years After the Beginning of The Conflict. Her book The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service (co-authored with W. Scott Gould) will be published in June, 2008.

Bilmes is a regular commentator on financial topics. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, and the Atlantic Monthly. She is frequently interviewed on TV and radio programs, including the News Hour with Jim Lehrer, CNN’s Lou Dobbs Show, ABC’s World News Tonight and NPR’s On Point. She recently featured in Charles Ferguson’s award-winning documentary film about Iraq, “No End In Sight”.

Bilmes has testified at several congressional hearings regarding the costs of the Iraq war, including the US House of Representatives Budget Committee, Veterans Affairs Committee, and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

Bilmes holds a BA and MBA from Harvard University.

In what promises to be the most contentious idea put forward, the filmmakers have interviewed several world leaders in nutrition and natural healing who claim that not only are we harming our bodies with improper nutrition, but that the right kind of foods, supplements and detoxification can be used to treat chronic illnesses as fatal as terminally diagnosed cancer.

With access to solid information people invariably make better choices for their health and this is exactly what James and Laurentine have done. The ‘Food Matters’ duo have independently funded the film from start to finish in order to remain as unbiased as possible, delivering a clear, concise and hard hitting message to the world. Food Matters.

The film’s official trailer can be found at www.foodmatters.tv or by watching the video below: