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Online Firepower For Barack Obama
by Heather Greenfield
Two prominent Internet organizers from past presidential campaigns have joined DraftObama.org, a site aimed at getting Democratic Sen. Barack Obama into the 2008 race.
Zephyr Teachout and John Hlinko gained online reputations during the 2004 presidential campaign -- Teachout with Howard Dean and Hlinko as part of the movement to draft former Gen. Wesley Clark into the race. The Draft Obama group calls their additions "a significant boost to the rapidly expanding effort to draft Senator Barack Obama to run for president."
Teachout is the former director of Internet organizing for Dean, now the head of the Democratic National Committee. She is now the national director of the Sunlight Foundation, an online government watchdog group that opened its doors this year.
Hlinko founded DraftWesleyClark.com in 2003, helped raise $2 million in pledges for a Clark candidacy, engaged tens of thousands of supporters, and led to Clark's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination. Previously, Hlinko helped lead the liberal activist group MoveOn.org when it was first launched in 1998. He now works with Grassroots Enterprise, a public affairs firm specializing in "buzz" marketing and Internet activism.
"What started off as a draft now feels like a gale-force storm," Hlinko said of the Obama movement. "Senator Obama has clearly captured the imagination of America, and thanks to the efforts of the Draft Obama movement, citizens across our country have the chance to send him a message, and tell him it's time to 'Barack the Vote.'"
"Zephyr Teachout and John Hlinko are the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford of netroots activism, and they are both an inspiration to me," said Ben Stanfield, a computer technician in Rockville, Md., who created the Web page for the draft campaign. "Having them both on board is just another sign of how strong our movement is and how much momentum a Barack Obama presidential candidacy would have."
Online Politics Ally Resigns From FEC
Michael Toner, the Republican chairman of the Federal Election Commission, is resigning to pursue other unspecified opportunities.
Toner repeatedly took stands to reduce online politicking rules. When he made the resignation announcement Thursday, he cited among his accomplishments an FEC ruling this year that freed bloggers and other volunteer Internet political activities from possible regulation.
"I am particularly pleased that earlier this year, the commission issued regulations protecting online political speech from many of the restrictions and prohibitions of the campaign finance laws," he said. "In so doing, the commission ensured that millions of Americans in the future will have the ability to use the Internet to support the candidates of their choice without fear of FEC investigation or restriction."
Toner's term as chairman ends Jan. 1, and his term as commissioner expires in April. A longtime Republican political legal adviser, Toner was general counsel to the 2000 Bush-Cheney presidential campaign and chief counsel to the Republican National Committee before President Bush appointed him to the FEC in March 2002. The Senate confirmed him in 2003.
Verizon Snags Ex-Treasury Secretary
Verizon Communications has called former Treasury Secretary John Snow to sit on its board of directors. He will take his seat in the boardroom Feb. 1.
Snow left the Treasury Department in June and before that he was the chairman and CEO of CSX. Most of his previous experience was handling transportation issues at both the Transportation Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Much earlier Snow taught economics at the University of Maryland and University of Virginia, as well as law at George Washington University, and he served as a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in 1977.
"His background as a transformational leader will be a significant benefit to Verizon," said Ivan Seidenberg, the company's chairman and CEO.
Cable Industry Lobbyist Goes To Time Warner
Gail MacKinnon is leaving the National Cable and Telecommunications Association at the end of the year to become senior vice president of global public policy for Time Warner. For the past year, MacKinnon has been senior vice president of government relations for NCTA.
"Leading the NCTA government relations team this past year has been challenging and incredibly rewarding for me," MacKinnon said. "At such a pivotal time for the cable industry, I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve as a key strategist on policy issues and to manage NCTA's lobbying activities on Capitol Hill."
NCTA President and CEO Kyle McSlarrow said: "While she would be too modest to say this, she has been a critical part of our success. I respect her decision and am doubly pleased that she will continue to be a vital part of our industry's advocacy in Washington, D.C."
MacKinnon's career includes government relations experience in both the broadcasting and cable industries, working for companies including CBS, Tele-Communications Inc., the Turner Broadcasting System and Viacom. She also served as a legislative director to former Rep. Jack Fields, R-Texas.
McSlarrow said Steve Vest will replace MacKinnon. Vest was his vice president of government relations and used to work on Capitol Hill, in the telecommunications industry, and in government relations.
"Steve Vest brings a deep knowledge of our industry from his service in NCTA's government relations department, as well as his time spent at industry companies," McSlarrow said. "Working with Steve over the past year, I have seen firsthand that he has the talent and leadership skills to continue building what I regard as a first-class organization devoted to effectively representing cable."
CNET Editor Dies Of Hypothermia
CNET co-workers, friends and family mourned the loss of senior editor James Kim after his body was found in a rugged area of southern Oregon last week.
Kim hiked an estimated 16 miles in search of help for his family, who had been stranded in the snow in a remote area for more than a week. Kim's family was rescued by helicopter Dec. 4, but he was found Wednesday by a helicopter hired by his family.
In a tribute, CNET described Kim as a man who cared deeply about his family and as a respected expert on cutting-edge digital devices, which he reviewed for CNET.
"I have had the privilege of knowing James since our days together at TechTV," said Joe Gillespie, executive vice president at CNET Networks and a former co-worker of Kim's at the since-renamed cable channel. "And while I have many fond memories, I will honor forever what he set out to do last Saturday. He is true a hero to all here at CNET."
During the search, friends and co-workers began leaving messages of support for the family and later condolences at www.JamesandKati.com.
Quote Of The Week
"At its core, such conduct is an abuse of power and an abuse of trust of the pages, their parents or guardians, and the Congress itself."
-- From a report by the House Ethics committee which investigated the Internet messages sent to underage pages from Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla.
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