Washington journalist and pundit Morton Kondracke will be the key note speaker at ETA's 2010 Strategic Leadership Forum, October 26-28 at the Breakers in Palm Beach, FL. His presentation will focus on events in the capital that could affect the payments industry as well as the likely impact of the 2010 mid-term Congressional elections.

Over a span of 45 years, Kondracke has covered nearly every phase of American politics and foreign policy – in newspapers and magazines, on TV, radio, and the Internet.

Since 1991, Kondracke has been the Executive Editor of Roll Call, Capitol Hill’s leading newspaper. He writes “Pennsylvania Avenue,” a weekly column on national politics and foreign policy, syndicated through United Features Syndicate and carried regularly on Realclearpolitics.com.

Kondracke is a regular commentator on the Fox News Channel, serving as an “All Stars” panelist on Special Report. He was co-host of The Beltway Boys from 1998 through 2009. Prior to that, Kondracke was an original member of The McLaughlin Group, a 16-year regular on the NBC/PBS public affairs show. For four years starting in 1984, he was a panelist on This Week with David Brinkley (ABC).

His extensive print experience includes positions as a writer, senior editor and executive editor of The New Republic (1981-97). Kondracke also served as the Washington Bureau Chief for Newsweek (1985-86); a columnist for the Wall Street Journal (1980-85) and United features Syndicate (1983-85); and reporter, Springfield (IL) bureau chief and White House correspondent for the Chicago Sun-Times (1963-77).

Each year, the Strategic Leadership Forum brings together industry leaders and top executives and managers for two days of high-level strategic discussions and presentations that focus on topics from payment industry dynamics to technological innovation to critical business issues.

To register or get more information, visit the Strategic Leadership Forum site .