Pete McCloskey: Leading from the Front

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Narrated by Paul Newman, Pete McCloskey: Leading from the Front tells the colorful and inspirational life story of Pete McCloskey, a true American character. A war hero as a Marine during the Korean War, McCloskey was one of the nation's first environmental lawyers as well as one of the first lawyers to integrate his practice during the Civil Rights movement. He represented California's 11th District in Congress from 1967 to 1983. After being one of the first Congressmen to oppose the war in Vietnam, he ran against Richard Nixon for the Republican presidential nomination in 1972 in an attempt to end the Vietnam War.

In 1973, McCloskey was one of the first few members Congress to call for the impeachment of his party's President. In 2006, in opposition to the corruption and anti-conservation policies of his party, McCloskey ran against California Congressman Richard Pombo in the Republican primary, contributing to Pombo's defeat in the general election. "I've often said the political system couldn't stand too many McCloskeys," says his biographer, Lou Cannon, "But it needs a few of them. He's the original 'maverick.'"

McCloskey's story offers an example of an authentic hero who dedicates his life to public service, an elected official who follows his moral compass regardless of the prevailing political winds. Pete McCloskey: Leading from the Front cuts through contemporary biases based on ideologies and party affiliations to open a unique window onto a crucial span of our history.

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