Thomas H. Geoghegan ( ; born January 22, 1949, in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

) is an American

labor law Labour laws (also spelled as labor laws), labour code or employment laws are those that mediate the relationship between workers, employing entities, trade unions, and the government. Collective labour law relates to the tripartite relationship be ...

yer and author based in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. He has represented several unions and union groups, and written six books on labor unions, law, politics and his personal experiences. He has written for ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...

'' magazine and contributed to several newspapers, and had commentaries on a number of radio and TV stations. Geoghegan ran in the Democratic primary for the Illinois's 5th congressional district in 2009Tom Geoghegan for Congress - Official Campaign Website
/ref> and came in a three-way tie for third.

Life and work

In 1967, Geoghegan graduated from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. He later graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

. Geoghegan has represented the

United Mine Workers The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American Labor history of the United States, labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing work ...

, Teamsters for a Democratic Union, and currently works a
Despres, Schwartz and Geoghegan Ltd.
He has been a staff writer and contributing writer to ''

'' and his work has also appeared in the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'', the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', ''

Dissent Dissent is an opinion, philosophy or sentiment of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or policy enforced under the authority of a government, political party or other entity or individual. A dissenting person may be referred to as ...

'', ''

The American Prospect ''The American Prospect'' is a daily online and bimonthly print American political and public policy magazine dedicated to American modern liberalism and Progressivism in the United States, progressivism. Based in Washington, D.C., ''The America ...

'', ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

'', and ''

Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the United States. ''Harper's Magazine'' has ...

''. His commentary has been featured on

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

, ''

Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News (United States), ABC News' Late night television in the United States, late-night television news program broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC in the United States with a franchis ...

'', '' The Today Show'', ''

CBS Sunday Morning ''CBS News Sunday Morning'' (frequently shortened to ''Sunday Morning'') is an American television newsmagazine that has aired on CBS since January 28, 1979. Created by Robert Northshield and E.S. "Bud" Lamoreaux III, and originally hosted by Ch ...

'',

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

CNBC CNBC is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...

, and PBS's

WTTW WTTW (channel 11) is a PBS member television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by not-for-profit broadcaster Window to the World Communications, Inc., it is sister to commercial classical music radio station WFMT (98.7 FM). ...

-11. Geoghegan was a Democratic candidate for

Rahm Emanuel Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician, advisor, diplomat, and former investment banker who most recently served as List of ambassadors of the United States to Japan, United States ambassador to Japan from 2022 ...

's seat in

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

. The

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...

for the

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

took place on March 3, 2009, and was won by Mike Quigley. The

general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

was won by Quigley on April 7, 2009.

Views

In his books, articles and commentaries, Geoghegan has urged a number of reforms to increase America's commitment to democracy at home and abroad. Geoghegan supports the National Popular Vote compact for presidential elections on the grounds that it would increase electoral

responsiveness Responsiveness as a concept of computer science refers to the specific ability of a system or functional unit to complete assigned tasks within a given time. For example, it would refer to the ability of an artificial intelligence system to und ...

, transparency and

accountability In ethics and governance, accountability is equated with answerability, culpability, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. As in an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the public secto ...

. He urges a reform of the redistricting of US congressional districts, arguing that currently over 90% of Congressional seats are "safe", such that no challenger has a serious chance of unseating an incumbent and this discourages voter participation. He argues against the

filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking ...

in the

US Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

as undemocratic and unconstitutional under current rules. Less than 9% of the population resides in 20 states representing 40% of the seats in the Senate. In regards to America's economy and quality of life, Geoghegan argues that Germany and other northern European countries "do both

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...

and

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

better than we do."

Personal life

Geoghegan is

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Works

* 1991: '' Which Side Are You On?: Trying to Be For Labor When It's Flat On Its Back'' ( FSG), * 1998: ''The Secret Lives of Citizens: Pursuing the Promise of American Life'' (

Pantheon Books Pantheon Books is an American book publishing imprint. Founded in 1942 as an independent publishing house in New York City by Kurt and Helen Wolff, it specialized in introducing progressive European works to American readers. In 1961, it was ...

), * 2002: ''In America's Court: How a Civil Lawyer Who Likes to Settle Stumbled into a Criminal Trial'' (

New Press The New Press is an independent non-profit public-interest book publisher established in 1992 by André SchiffrinReid, Calvin (December 2, 2013)"New Press Founder André Schiffrin Dead at 78" ''Publishers Weekly''. Accessed August 1, 2014. ( Ch ...

), * 2005: ''The Law in Shambles'' ( Prickly Paradigm), * 2007: ''See You in Court: How the Right Made America a Lawsuit Nation'' (New Press), * 2010: ''Were you Born on the Wrong Continent?'' * 2011:
Boeing's Threat to American Enterprise
' ( WSJ) * 2014: ''Only One Thing Can Save Us: Why America Needs a New Kind of Labor Movement'' (

References

External links

“Infinite Debt: How Unlimited Interest Rates Destroyed the Economy"
''on Democracynow.org, March 24, 2009''
Tom Geoghegan for U.S. Congress
''official campaign website'' * * David Sirota
Six little words
''San Francisco Chronicle'', July 25, 2008 * Kathy G

''The G Spot'', July 31, 2008 * James Fallowsbr>Tom Geoghegan for Congress
''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

'', January 4, 2009
Articles
in ''

''
Articles
in ''

''
Review
by Ted Frank of Geoghegan's book ''See You In Court'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Geoghegan, Thomas H. American legal writers American social sciences writers Harvard Law School alumni Lawyers from Chicago Writers from Cincinnati American workers' rights activists Writers from Chicago St. Xavier High School (Ohio) alumni 1949 births Living people Illinois Democrats American labor lawyers Roman Catholic activists

Life and work

Views

Personal life

Works

See also

References

External links