Pete McCloskey - Leading From The Front

Pete McCloskey: Leading from the Front tells the colorful story of former Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey, a true political "maverick”, who was both a Marine war hero in Korea and a leading peace advocate during Vietnam.

While representing California's 11th District from 1967 to 1983 (now Silicon Valley), McCloskey became one of the first members of Congress to oppose the war in Vietnam, and in 1972 ran against President Nixon as an anti-war Presidential candidate. In 1973, after the Watergate scandal broke, McCloskey was the first member of Congress from either party to call for the impeachment of Nixon, his own party's President.

Before he served in Congress, McCloskey was one of the nation's first environmental lawyers, and one of the first attorneys to racially integrate his legal practice. As a member of Congress, he co-chaired the first Earth Day in 1970, co-authored the Endangered Species Act, and contributed to other environmental laws including the Clean Air and Clean Water acts.

McCloskey did not go quietly into retirement. In 2006, at age 78, he was so outraged by the corruption in the Republican-controlled Congress and his party’s anti-environmental policies that he led what he called “the revolt of the elders.” McCloskey reentered politics to run against Congressman Richard Pombo in the Republican primary, which contributed to Pombo's defeat in the general election.

McCloskey's story offers an example of an authentic hero who dedicates his life to public service and follows his conscience, despite the prevailing political winds. The documentary cuts through contemporary biases based on ideologies and party affiliations to open a unique window onto an important span of our nation's history. In so doing, it enables that history to illuminate present day politics and issues in a new, even refreshing light.

The pro-Israel lobby targeted McCloskey for removal from Congress when he spoke out against Israeli war crimes. He was a longtime supporter of human rights for all – including Palestinians. He was also a supporter of the American veterans whose ship, the USS Liberty, had been viciously attacked by Israeli forces in 1967 – see https://ifamericansknew.org/us_ints/ussliberty.html McCloskey was a member of the founding board of directors of the Council for the National Interest: https://councilforthenationalinterest.org/