America's #1 Populist
Jim Hightower
Notes from Evan Smith
"Jim Hightower is a political commentator known for his populist views.
Hightower was raised in Denison, Texas. A graduate of the University of North Texas, he worked in Washington as legislative aide to Sen. Ralph Yarborough of Texas. He then co-founded the Agribusiness Accountability Project, a public interest project that focused on corporate power in the food economy, and he was national coordinator of the 1976 "Fred Harris for President" campaign. Hightower then returned to his home state, where he became editor of the Texas Observer. He served as director of the Texas Consumer Association before running for statewide office and being elected to two terms as Texas Agriculture Commissioner (1983-1991). He broadcasts daily radio commentaries that are carried in more than 100 commercial and public stations, on the web, on Armed Forces Radio, Radio for Peace International, One World Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Each month, he publishes a populist political newsletter, "The Hightower Lowdown," which now has more than 100,000 subscribers and has received both the Alternative Press Award and the Independent Press Association Award for best national newsletter. His newspaper column is carried in more than 75 independent newspapers, magazines, and other publications. He also writes a montly column for The Nation. A best-selling author, his latest book, Let's Stop Beating Around the Bush, is published by Viking Press." - Evan Smith, Texas Monthly Talks, Broadcast 7.22.04
