Fred Barnes is a nationally known political commentator and senior editor of The New Republic. He has a regular column on the presidency, known as "White House Watch," and also writes about politics and the media. The New Republic is one of the nation’s most influential magazines of politics and cultural affairs, and Barnes provides its conservative voice.He appears as a regular panelist on the nationally syndicated The McLaughlin Group and is a frequent guest on CNN’s Crossfire. Mr. Barnes is known for his humor and sharply worded exchanges with other panelists. Also, he and Morton Kondracke, also a senior editor of The New Republic, engage in a new weekly debate on Independent Network News’ Op-Ed.
Mr. Barnes also is a moderator on the weekly Voice of America show Issues in the News, and has appeared on Nightline, Today, Good Morning America, Meet the Press, Face the Nation, CBS Morning News, and The McNeil-Lehrer News Hour.
The 1989 Media Guide gave Mr. Barnes four stars—its highest rating—calling him "a great reporter/columnist whose material is exquisitely timed…; a wildcatter, he shuns sure things and develops off-beat ideas that are worthwhile even if they turn out to be dry holes."
Mr. Barnes was selected in 1984 as a panelist in the first nationally televised debate between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale after more than 100 journalists had been vetoed by the two political campaigns.
He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, and covered the White House and Supreme Court for the Washington Star before joining the Baltimore Sun. He was the Sun’s national political correspondent and also wrote a media column for The American Spectator. He joined The New Republic in 1985.