Of course, again it is definitely worth checking out.  this time, I take on the annual prom in DC known as the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend– specifically the irony of Obama appearing before a crowd of Washington influencer peddlers and media elite– the two groups he is making irrelevant in his approach to governing.  Here’s the link.  Read More →

I am the guest blogger this week on PRWeek online.  Check out my take on the the Republicans and the 60-seat super-majority in the Senate.  I will be writing a couple of additional entries this week, so let me know if you have an suggested topics.  Read More →

My Qorvis colleague Karen Hanretty has some really good thoughts in Atlatic Magazine online on what presidential contenders looking at the 2012 elections need to do to position themselves as real candidates. As a Republican political strategist (she was head of communications for the NRCC through the end of the November elections, and has worked for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others), Karen is still fighting hard to rebuild her party.  Her comments are worth quoting at length: “Immediately embark on a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Tour — Take the next couple years to travel America and the world — not as a highly staged, useless “listening tour” but as a way to understand what everyday people are talking about in communities throughout America — with emphasis on the North East. And do this not just in America but in countries around the world. The U.S. will always be a world leader, and we need a Republican candidate who better understands and can speak to the frustrations, fears and hopes of other nations. “Put down Forbes, pick up Fast Company — It’s not enough for the next Republican Presidential candidate to have a Blackberry, a Facebook page and a Twitter... 

I don’t like to use my blog to boast about Qorvis, but being named the Public Affairs Agency of the year is the bread and butter of what Damage control 101 is often all about. Check it out here:  Read More →

There is a very nice interview worth checking out on my colleague Chuck Conconi’s Focus Washington web site. It is with Mike Loya, the President and CEO of Vitol Inc, the leading global oil commodities trader.  Mike runs Vitol’s U.S. operations, and is truly one of the smartest experts in that industry.  (Full disclosure– I have provided strategic counsel to Mike and Vitol, and count him as a valued friend).  Why is this worth viewing– oil traders are a mysterious group, doing things are hard to understand.  Mike makes it far more accessible to appreciate how they help move the oil to where it is most needed.  Read More →