Oliver North

Oliver Laurence North (b. October 7 1943) is an American Conservative political commentator. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps, and rose to national prominence because of the Iran-Contra Affair, during which he was a key official in the clandestine selling of weapons to Iran in order to earn money for the Contras during U.S. President Ronald Reagan's administration.

Later life and career

In 1994, North unsuccessfully ran for the Senate as the Republican candidate in Virginia. Republican Senator John Warner of Virginia endorsed Marshall Coleman, a Republican who ran as an independent, instead of North. On the eve of the election, former first lady Nancy Reagan told a reporter that North had lied to her husband when discussing Iran-Contra with the former president. North narrowly lost to incumbent Democrat Charles Robb. North's candidacy was documented in the 1996 film A Perfect Candidate.

Related Topics:
1994 - Senate - Republican - Virginia - John Warner - Marshall Coleman - Nancy Reagan - Democrat - Charles Robb

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North has written several best-selling books including Under Fire, One More Mission, War Stories — Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mission Compromised, and The Jericho Sanction. He is also a syndicated columnist, and is the host of the television show War Stories with Oliver North and a regular commentator on Hannity and Colmes, both on the Fox News Channel. In addition, he regularly speaks at both public and private events.

Related Topics:
Hannity and Colmes - Fox News Channel

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In 1990 North founded the Freedom Alliance, a 501(c)(3) foundation which helps ensure that children of soldiers who are killed in action or completely disabled can get a college education.

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Oliver North has been married to the former Betsy Stuart since 1967, and they have four children (daughters Tait, Dornin, and Sarah North, and son, Stuart North) with whom he attends evangelical church services, having switched from his childhood Catholic upbringing, by his Irish American mother, the former Ann Clancy, to his wife Betsy's faith.

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