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Changing Of The Guard At PFF
by Heather Greenfield
Dan Caprio will become the third president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation after the group's annual Aspen Summit that begins Sunday. Currently the executive vice president and a senior fellow at PFF, Caprio will take over for Raymond Gifford.
"The decision to step aside has not been easy, but as many of you know, I have commuted to D.C. from Denver almost every other week for some time now," Gifford said in a letter. He said the decision became more clear after his third son was born last November.
"'Giant Mike' -- who got his name by arriving in this world at a svelte 11 pounds 7 ounces -- the pressing need for my 10-year-old son's football team to have a more dedicated line coach, my 5-year-old's budding hockey career, the ability to be a better husband to my wonderfully patient wife, Lisa, and the need to reconnect to my local community in Denver and Colorado -- all these factors contributed to this very difficult decision."
Gifford will remain a fellow at PFF and start a law practice in Denver.
Before joining PFF in April, Caprio served as chief privacy officer and acting assistant secretary for technology policy at the Commerce Department. "Dan is the perfect choice to lead PFF forward," PFF chairman and co-founder Jay Keyworth. "His record of accomplishment in Washington is well-known." He added that he is pleased Gifford will remain affiliated with PFF.
Michael Gallagher, a former principal adviser on telecommunications to President Bush and a colleague of Caprio's at Commerce, also will be joining PFF.
Gallagher, a law partner in the Washington office of Perkins Coie, will be an adjunct fellow. He will advise PFF on the development and direction of its programs, particularly in the areas of telecommunications and Internet governance.
Gallagher served for four years in the Commerce Department, most recently as director of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
"All of us at PFF are excited to have Michael Gallagher join us as an adjunct fellow," Caprio said. "He has a clear understanding and insight regarding communications, spectrum and Internet governance, all areas that feature prominently in PFF scholarship."
Former Energy Chief Gets Tech Board Slot
A company that sells technologies to help protect the nation's nuclear plants has elected the former Cabinet secretary in charge of doing just that to its board. Former Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham will serve on the board of ICx Technologies, which develops sensors to identify chemical, biological and explosive materials.
As Energy secretary from 2001 until 2004, Abraham oversaw the implementation of security measures by government, research and commercial entities in the energy sector after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"The terrorists hijacked U.S. technology and turned it against us. Spence led the way in harnessing technology to prevent another attack," ICx chief Hans Kobler said. "Secretary Abraham was responsible for some of the most critical -- and potentially dangerous -- facilities on U.S. soil. As a director of ICx Technologies, he will now help guide our development of next-generation security technologies."
Before becoming Energy secretary, Abraham was a Republican senator representing Michigan and was noted for his understanding of high-tech issues.
Adult Content Group Is Seeking Director
Got experience with politics, nonprofits and fundraising? The association that represents the adult content industry may have a role for you.
While the pictures from the industry may be what most folks care about, the trade group, which describes its mission as safeguarding the industry from oppressive government regulation, needs a new voice in Washington.
The Free Speech Coalition has begun accepting applications for the position of executive director. Michelle Freridge is leaving the job for law school to become a First Amendment attorney.
"I have enjoyed the last two years leading the FSC in the direction of a full-service trade association," Freridge said. "Building the organization's capacity, getting to know and work with industry leaders, developing the federal lobbying and member services, working with the attorneys on litigation, and initiating the code of ethics and best practices has been exciting and fulfilling work."
Coalition board Chairman Jeffrey Douglas praised her tenure. "Without her leadership, the entire industry would be substantially worse off," he said. "We regret her departure but wish her the very best."
Sen. Lieberman Posts New Campaign Site
The campaign Internet site for Sen. Joseph Lieberman was back online this week with a new message explaining why he is staying in the race for his Senate seat.
Lieberman's site crashed the morning of the primary election Aug. 8. It was still down Friday as investigators tried to determine whether a hacker or technical problem caused the disruption.
Lieberman, D-Conn., launched an independent race after losing the primary to Ned Lamont. The new Web site is an open letter to voters and a video to match explaining Lieberman's decision. He addresses one issue, the Iraq war, that many political observers cite as the reason voters chose Lamont 52 percent to 48 percent for Lieberman.
"I'm staying because I want to help end the war in Iraq as quickly and successfully as possible, in a way that brings stability to the Middle East and doesn't leave us even more vulnerable to terrorist attacks," Lieberman said.
He also defended his cooperation with Republicans as an asset, not a liability, when it comes to actually getting things done in Washington.
"I have always followed a different path. My 30 years of experience has been about bringing people together and solving problems," Lieberman said. "I am and will always be a proud, progressive, strong-on-defense Democrat. But I do not and will not hesitate to work across party lines when it will get things done for my constituents."
Now that his own site is working, Lieberman may want to negotiate the domain name that matches his new campaign. His critics currently ConnecticutForLieberman.com, and the spoof content features a seal with an infamous embrace of Lieberman by President Bush.
Drew Clark Leaves Tech Daily
Drew Clark, a senior writer at Technology Daily since it started publishing just before the 1998 election, began a new job this week at the Center for Public Integrity. Clark will be the senior fellow and project manager for telecommunications and media.
"The center has a great tradition of investigative journalism and won many awards," Clark said. "What appealed to me was the opportunity to stay in journalism and do long-term projects."
Clark most recently covered telecommunications for Tech Daily and previously covered privacy, intellectual property and other legal issues. Amid many career highlights, he wrote about the emergence of digital television. Congress finalized a DTV transition date earlier this year.
Quote Of The Week
Pornographers "expected guns and battering rams, and we came in with suits and pencils."
-- The FBI's Chip Burrus, explaining that a series of sweeps aimed at the adult entertainment industry's compliance with federal record-keeping laws are off to a good start.
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