Ben LaBolt is leaving the White House later this month to become Communications Director for the Mayoral campaign of former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (D-IL). LaBolt, a native Chicagoan, was Press Secretary for then-Sen. Obama before working in the press shop on the presidential campaign. Previously LaBolt was Press Secretary for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). (PF tipster)
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe has enlisted the help of a veteran Virginia political consultant and former Hillary Clinton and Mark Warner spokesman Mo Elleithee to explore a possible run as Governor in VA for 2009. According to various reports including The Washington Post, the hiring of Elleithee signals publicly what many Virginia insiders have known privately for several months: McAuliffe is almost certain to run for governor -- joining state Del. Brian Moran and state Sen. Creigh Deeds, who came within a few hundred votes of winning the attorney general's office in 2005. McAuliffe also has the sage advice of Tracy Sefl, a highly-esteemed communications pro who now works at The Glover Park Group in Washington, D.C. (Washington Post)
It's the question reverberating through Washington this morning. Some think it's a bad idea all the way around and others think it's smart. Let us know what you think. One of our favorite hands at Politico, J-Mart, showcases some competing views on the right.
Senator Barack Obama announced that Justin DeJong has been named Director of Communications for Illinois, where he will manage the media requests and communications for Senator Obama's home state. DeJong is taking a leave of absence from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, where he has served as Director of Communications since December 2007.
In recent years, DeJong has served in numerous roles as a spokesperson in the administration of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, including Communications Director for the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB), Communications Director for the Department of Central Management Services (CMS), and Communications Manager for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Before joining the Blagojevich administration in 2004, DeJong also worked at Chicago-based Peoples Energy Corp., Jasculca-Terman and Associates, and Mayor Richard M. Daley's Press Office. (PF Tipster)
As first reported in the Playbook, Benjamin H. Porritt has packed his bags and flown back to our nation's capitol from California to be a national spokesman for the McCain campaign focusing on the soon-to-be-announced Vice Presidential candidates. Porritt, who hails from Danville, Illinois (home of Gene Hackman), earned his stripes on the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign and was battle-tested as the Press Secretary for Tom Delay when he underwent indictment. This vetern communicator got his start -- you can't make this stuff up -- as a capitol tour guide wearing the red shirt and within six months was in the West Wing. While most flacks in D.C. tend to circle the beltway, after a five-year stint, Porritt co-founded Outside Eyes in Newport Beach, CA with another pro, Reed Dickens. The firm focuses on public strategy and crisis communications. We expect Ben's additon will make an immediate impact to the campaign. (PF Tipster)
Our friend Howard Kurtz has a must read in today's Washington Post detailing how former campaign aides' insider views are on demand these days -- especially on cable TV. Perhaps even surpassing the likes of big-named strategists -- i.e. James Carville, George Stephanopoulous, Bob Shrum and Karl Rove -- Kurtz puts on the table that this political season, many previously obscure spokesmen and second string assistants are becoming in-demand A-list cable news guests and "strategists."
Is it their insider's viewpoint, their charming good-looks, or is it that spokesman like Kevin Madden, Gov. Romney's former spokesguy, have worked on more winning presidential campaigns than Bob Shrum and the same amount as Carville?
Either way, a positive sign that there is life after flacking for a campaign. (Washington Post)
Ryan Taylor, currently the Deputy Communications Director for U.S. Senator John Barrasso, is moving to Wyoming to be the Communications Director for Senator Barrasso's campaign beginning August 2. Congrats Ryan and good luck on the campaign trail. (PF Tipster)
First reported by Marc Ambinder, Linda Douglass, an award-winning television and print journalist who currently serves as a contributing editor to National Journal, will join Barack Obama's presidential campaign as a senior strategist and as a senior campaign spokesperson on the roadshow, a newly created position. Douglass confirmed her new position to Ambinder when he asked her about it. She informed National Journal President Suzanne Clark this morning of her impending departure. After serving as Justice Department correspondent for CBS News, DougIass moved to ABC News, where she covered Capitol Hill. A few years ago, she met Barack Obama and the two became friendly. Douglass retired from ABC News in 2006 to work on a project at New York University that was looking into how partisanship had paralyzed Congress. She joined the National Journal group as a contributing editor in 2007, writing for the magazine and hosting a weekly radio show on XM Satellite radio. Douglass declined to discuss the terms of her new job or how the offer was broached. An Obama spokesman had no comment. (Atlantic's Ambinder Blog)
Sam Arora, is the new communications director for VoteBoth - a group dedicated to a joint Clinton and Obama ticket. Sam is a former member of Hillary Clinton's campaign press office and also used to work at the DNC.
Sam is also currently a student at Georgetown Law School. (PF Tipster and McClatchy Newspapers).
Jeff Ostermayer has been hired as Communications Director and Press Secretary for Republican Tom Rooney, a candidate for the House seat representing Florida’s 16th congressional district. Ostermayer was the Assistant Press Secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (CQ's People on the Move)
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