Guide Note

Charles Krauthammer is a syndicated columnist who currently writes for the Washington Post. He is also a contributing editor to the The New Republic and The Weekly Standard.

Fast Facts

1. Born: March 13, 1950
2. Birthplace: New York City, New York
3. Raised in Montreal, Canada
4. Attended McGill University and Harvard Medical School
5. 1972 diving accident left him a paraplegic
6. Directed psychiatric research for the Carter administration
7. Began writing career in 1981 with The New Republic
8. Helped develop the "Reagan Doctrine" in the 80s
9. Appointed to Presidential Council on Bioethics in 2002

Key Dates

1. 1970: Graduated from McGill University
2. 1970-1971: Became a Commonwealth Scholar for Balliol College, Oxford
3. 1971: Paralyzed in an accident
4. 1975: Graduated from Harvard Medical School
5. 1976: Quit medical practice to work on psychiatric research
6. 1980: Speech-writer for Vice President Walter Mondale
7. 1981: Began journalism career
8. 1983: Began writing essays for Time Magazine
9. 1984: Won the "National Magazine Award for Essays and Criticism"
10. October, 1984: Became board certified in psychiatry from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
11. 1985: Began writing column for the Washington Post
12. 2006: Named the most influential commentator in America by the Financial Times

1. Commonwealth Scholar, Balliol College, Oxford
2. Psychiatrist/Resident/Chief Resident, Massachusetts General Hospital
3. Writer/Editor: The New Republic
4. Columnist, Washington Post

Krauthammer has worked with both the Democratic Party and Republican Party during his political involvements over the past two decades. However, his political leanings usually see him branded as a conservative.¹ On many key issues he falls short of the ideal conservative viewpoint, as he supports legalized abortion and is a critic of the death penalty and intelligent design theory.²³