Obama's Ohio Campaign Director Paul Tewes: Has Roots In Clinton/Gore '96

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- Paul Tewes, the Minnesota native now running Sen. Barack Obama's Ohio operation, is a partner in Hildebrand Tewes Consulting Inc. His firm has led efforts against the war, Social Security privatization and has tried to raise awareness about climate change. It has offices in South Dakota and D.C. and has been close to former Senate leader Tom Daschle. Tewes is a 1993 grad of Carleton College and is viewed as a top-notch operative whose field-organizing in Iowa was critical in delivering Obama's Jan. 3.

The Daily Bellwether hears that Tewes is a hot commodity right now. Huffpo reporter Beverly Davis is said to be preparing a piece on the Obama strategist and the Ohio ground game he is putting in play to defeat Hillary Clinton. Hildenbrand Tewes was formed in 2005 to lead Americans United To Protect Social Security, which mustered national opposition to President George Bush's Social Security privatization plans. Tewes first worked with his partner, Steve Hildebrand, as an organizer for Clinton/Gore. He was Gore's Iowa caucus manager in 2000.

There is background information about Tewes and his political consulting firm available here on the company's web site. Besides opposing the Bush Social Security reform -- which many Dems viewed as an effort to steer money to Wall Street -- Tewes and Hildebrand have been involved in organizing opposition to the Iraq War. A brief bio says Tewes spent time as the political director of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee while Daschle served as the Senate's leader:

"During the 2006 cycle, Paul served as a general consultant in the successful re-election effort of Democratic U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA) who was considered the most vulnerable Senate Democrat facing re-election in 2006. He was also a General Consultant in the successful re-election effort of Democratic U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, who was being challenged in the primary by a popular Democratic congressman. Paul also directed a nationally recognized environmental coalition on climate change strategy. Before Hildebrand Tewes Consulting, Paul was the political director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) from 2003-2004 and was the National Coordinated Campaign Director for the DSCC the previous election cycle. A native of Minnesota, Paul began his career in 1994. He spent time managing, running and winning campaigns in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington State and Iowa where he first worked with Steve Hildebrand in 1996 for Clinton/Gore."