CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Sen. Barrack Obama's exploratory committee for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination has begun to sign up staffers, and it now appears he will have some long-time Clinton appparatchiks at his side. One of the key Obama strategists was involved in former Cleveland Mayor Mike White's races years ago.
The Illinois senator says he will disclose his presidential intentions on Feb. 10. But he already has an office in Iowa for that state's precinct caucuses, and his national team includes Betsy Myers, who served as a Clinton White House adviser on women's issues.
Myers reported arrival is an interesting development because Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y, is the first woman considered to have a serious chance to claim a major party nomination. Myers is the sister of former Clinton campaign and White House spokeswoman Dee Dee Myers. Betsy Myers is to be the Obama campaign's chief operating officer.
Another former Bill Clinton campaign aide with a major post in the Obama outfit is David Axelrod, the Chicago-based media strategist who some NE Ohio Democrats might remember from Cleveland Mayor Mike White's campaigns. Information about Axelrod is HERE.
This is the entire Obama team so far, according to the Chicago Sun Times, which nicely capsulized the backgrounds:
David Axelrod, media strategist. Founder of Chicago-based AKP Media. Handled Obama's 2004 Senate race. "A" client list: consults for Mayor Daley, Rep. Rahm Emanuel.
David Plouffe, campaign manager. Partner, AKP Media, lives in Washington.
Betsy Myers, chief operating officer. Executive director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Director of President Bill Clinton's Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach. (Sister of Dee Dee Myers, Clinton's first press secretary.)
Robert Gibbs, communications chief. Spokesman for Obama's Senate and political operations.
Paul Harstad, pollster. Handled Obama's 2004 campaign.
Cornell Belcher, pollster. Democratic National Committee pollster.
Devorah Adler, research director. DNC research director.
Shauna Daly, deputy research director. DNC deputy research director.
Alyssa Mastromonaco, scheduling and advance. Political director for Obama's HOPEFUND political action committee.
Saul Schorr, media consultant. Runs a Philadelphia firm.
Julianna Smoot, finance director. Finance director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee this cycle.
Cassandra Butts, probably policy chief. Now at the Center for American Progress think tank. Obama law school classmate.
Pete Giangreco, direct mail, Iowa adviser. Partner, the Strategy Group, Evanston. Veteran of several Iowa primaries.
Steve Hildebrand, adviser. Runs South Dakota-based political consulting firm and is an Iowa specialist.
Paul Tewes, adviser. Hildebrand partner.
Bill Burton, national press secretary. Spokesman, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this cycle.
Dan Pfeiffer, traveling press secretary. Was press chief for Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.).
Matt Rodriguez, New Hampshire campaign manager.
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