Insights
Wolves of K Street — A Look at Washington’s 3 Lobbying Dynasties
It’s been almost 40 years since then-Wall Street Journal stars Jeff Birnbaum and Alan Murray wrote their seminal 1987 masterpiece Showdown at Gucci Gulch detailing passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 — the single most sweeping U.S. tax...
TikTok’s Superior 2024 Economic Impact Report
Despite the fact I support efforts in Congress requiring Chinese-owned ByteDance to sell TikTok, I have to say that the social media giant created one of the best pieces of advocacy content I've seen in a long time. Released by TikTok's government relations and media...
The ONLY Way to Conduct Conference Calls
Client conference calls -- whether video or audio -- are a fact of life. But there are several things I dislike and, in my opinion, reflect very poorly on the group leader. Let's start here: 1 -- 60 minute calls. If the collective group cannot conduct all of its...
Working for a Federal Agency Has Implications for Small Consultancies
When Covid began to run roughshod over the U.S in mid-2020 I had an opportunity to work as a "senior advisor" at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). I spent much of my time working with Covid "testing czar" Brett Giroir and the other leaders and...
Acknowledging “Collaboration” in the Writing Process
This shouldn't be a tricky subject when it comes to creating content and showcasing as one's own, but it is -- because so many don't understand that almost every major writing project is a collaboration. For those who write speeches, op-eds, presentations and other...
Enough With Zoom Calls
First things first: Zoom calls are great -- with amazing utility and usefulness. As a means of bringing teams together virtually as COVID continues to hinder in-office meetings, Zoom is the most revolutionary technological tool to be developed and widely embraced...
Pottinger CBS Interview Sheds Constructive Light on Needed CDC Reforms
Kudos to CBS Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan for her excellent interview of former Trump Administration Deputy National Security Advisor, Matthew F. Pottinger, surrounding several facets of the Trump Administration's COVID-19 response. The discussion...
DC Consultants Need to be Managed
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, DC consultants, lobbyists, data specialists and others are scrambling for their lives, and indeed, their very livelihoods. Clients representing both vast sectors as well as smaller sub-sectors of the U.S. economy are shelling...
“Off the Record”… What Does That Really Mean?
So... you're a campaign press secretary in a big-time presidential, senate or gubernatorial race where screwing up a contentious, high-stakes media call will have significantly negative implications -- to your candidate, and possibly your ongoing employment. You...
Private Equity, Not Just “Big Government” Drives Health Cost Increases
As a Republican and admitted ideologue when it comes to assigning blame to "big government" and "regulatory overreach" for many of the nation's ills, Axios points out today that, "Private equity firms don't just own physician firms and air ambulances that would be...
A Look at PBM “Spread Pricing” Abuse in Medicaid
With pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) under a cloud of their own making due to a business model wholly dependent upon opaque, non-transparent drug pricing practices, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently prohibited yet another controversial PBM...
PBMs Draw More GOP Scrutiny from Senate Finance Committee
This more of an addenda to my last post noting how PBMs have, to their detriment, ended up on Sen. Grassley's radar screen. Now Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), up for reelection this cycle, has weighed in: "The whole rebate thing just looks kind of — well it's hard to...
Grassley Helps Fuel Momentum on Wyden PBM Rebate Transparency Bill
Among the most complex but significant issues in the unfolding debate about prescription drug pricing reform is pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) rebates -- or, so-called "rebates" -- as many objective observers see them as kickbacks or opaque pay-offs to others in a...
What’s the Headline?… What’s the Lead?
As a content creator providing policy messaging for clients ranging from 5000 word CEO speeches to 100 word tweets, it's impossible not to notice the diminished attention span of today's news consumers, the media themselves and society at-large. There's even a social...
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Amps Up Public Visibility, Effectiveness
Its not often one sees a federal agency head double the output of news releases and, according to Fierce Pharma, put out 53 policy statements in the first half of 2018 -- up from just 4 during the same time period last year. That's impressive by any standard. “What it...
Tom Davis Warns House GOP Post PA-18
Former National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Tom Davis remains one of the smartest, savviest, streetwise political wise men in Washington -- and he landed over at MSNBC yesterday to talk with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press Daily about PA-18 and its...
Trump HHS, CMS, FDA Chiefs Rattle Health Sector Leaders
This week marked a true rarity for the Trump Administration: a coordinated, effective burst of reform-minded tough talk from three separate health policy leaders, in three consecutive days. In rat-tat-tat fashion, his HHS Secretary, CMS Administrator and FDA...
Fragmented Opiod Debate Impacts Variety of Healthcare Sub-Sectors
It's an election year. Congress has to appear to be "doing something" about the opioid epidemic engulfing communities across the U.S. The good news, it is: Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced a bipartisan bill this week, the "CARA 2.0 Act of 2018," to reauthorize...
“Corporate Social Responsibility” Big Business for Communications, Message, Research Consulting
The #1 Axios item today, "1 big thing: United States of Corporate America," points out that "corporate social responsibility" (shorthanded as "CSR" within companies) is now one of the hottest topics in boardrooms... as corporate officials say the phenomenon will...
Some Final 2017 Thoughts About the Virginia Governor’s Race
Ralph Northam beat Ed Gillespie. And that’s all that really matters as a tumultuous 2017 comes to a close. Prevailing in a brutal nationally-watched statewide — where “survivor” is a more apt characterization than “winner” — is a major achievement; incredibly...
GOP Tax Plan Targets Key Dem Constituencies
Putting aside the policy and economic implications of the GOP tax plans -- now heading for Conference -- the political ramifications are clear: the GOP approach in its totality targets largely Democratic constituencies. Stephen Moore, an economic advisor to the Trump...
The Sin of Omission and Lack of Specificity in Writing Credits
(Originally published by Gotham Ghostwriters, 10/18/2017) A talented younger friend attempting to make a transition from campaign communications consultant to building a full-time business as an executive communications consultant called the other day seeking advice....
Saudi Arabia vs. Qatar: The New DC Steel Cage Death Match
While much of the conversation and news coverage over the past several months has been usurped by health reform and the daily drama within the Trump White House, the clear escalation of the Beltway media war between Saudi Arabia and Qatar is shaping up as a...
DC Media Trend: Niche Firms Take on PR Giants — Part 2
Axios published an excellent article this morning noting that smaller, Washington-based public affairs firms are going after business typically won by large agencies. "They lure clients with political expertise capable of handling crisis communications, and then...
MIA: A Salient White House Policy Predicate for Repealing Obamacare
We’ve heard ad infinitum from President Trump that Obamacare is a “disaster,” a “loser,” and “a disgrace.” But what do Americans really know about the substantive policy rationale behind the White House push to repeal the so-called Affordable Care Act (ACA)? Not much...
Steve Scalise’s Rising Star Faces Key Test
This Thursday’s scheduled vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to begin rolling back Obamacare with the American Health Care Act will be Majority Whip Steve Scalise’s biggest, most important test to date. The Louisiana lawmaker's star already on the rise, and...
Ryan PowerPoint Media Format ‘Too Retro’?
One of the more interesting sidebar PR discussions regarding House Speaker Paul Ryan's media event yesterday detailing his "three-pronged approach" to repealing and replacing Obamacare was the format itself. A PowerPoint? skeptics asked. Ross Perot used charts in...
Tom Price Aces White House Health Care Briefing
During any Washington press briefing -- after the political figure delivers his or her canned opening statement -- that moment of truth arrives during an aggressive reporter Q and A session when success or failure becomes apparent. HHS Secretary Tom Price made his...
Scott Walker Policy Expertise Back in Spotlight as Medicaid Dominates
Among Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's most attractive attributes: his deep understanding of policy detail -- especially as it relates to the relationship between the federal and state governments. With "Repeal and Replace" of President Obama's Affordable Care Act...
Data “Driven” vs. Data “Informed” Messaging — Hillary Had an Algorithm But No Message
It's already been said: "Hillary Clinton's campaign had an algorithm, but no message." So when a Politico Magazine analysis piece by long-time Democratic messaging and direct mail expert David Gold appeared earlier this month, I took notice. After he helped eviscerate...
The Method to Trump’s Madness: “The Appall and Anesthetize Political Strategy”
The last thing I wanted to write and think about over this past long weekend is Donald Trump -- I do enough of that the rest of the week. The fact my recent posts are "Trump heavy" reflects the fact that here in DC he's all anyone talks about -- because you're forced...
Trump Finds Early Success With Apprentice-like Boardroom Newsmaking Format
Of the myriad observations one can make about President Donald Trump's understanding of media and making news, perhaps the most pertinent is that he's an extraordinarily quick study. Throughout the GOP primary and general election campaign, he maneuvered his way...
Trump News Conference Leaves DC Pharma Scrambling
Putting aside that PEOTUS Donald Trump convincingly crushed his first news conference in months -- and did so by demonizing the media in general and Buzzfeed in particular -- there was plenty of substantive policy news. Trump's trashing of the pharmaceutical industry...
Obamacare Repeal Message Battle: “Universal Access” vs. “Universal Coverage”
In the first seminal battle between the emboldened Trump-backed GOP Congressional majority and outnumbered Hill Democrats, the Obamacare repeal battle will see both sides employing a carefully nuanced messaging strategy. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has opened...
Trump Means More DC Lobbying Business, Not Less
Despite the fact a primary rationale of President-elect Donald Trump's candidacy was to decimate the Beltway culture and Washington insiders, one of the biggest ironies is that lobbyists stand to benefit significantly from his election. Why? Uncertainty and fear:...
If Clinton Wins: Big Impact on Medicaid Expansion
While the 2016 gubernatorial race outcomes will obviously have a major impact of future of state Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) a bigger factor would be a Hillary Clinton victory over Donald Trump in the presidential race. “If Clinton wins,...
The Debate Expectations Game: Trump’s Vast Advantage Over Hillary Clinton
"Temperament".... for months, it's been THE central focus of the collective Clinton forces' massive negative campaign effort against Donald Trump. And why not? Trump has handed Clinton, her supporters, his many enemies in the media and within the Republican Party...
Clinton May Face Brutal Two Front War With Trump, Johnson
On a purely structural level, Hillary Clinton must still remain a slight favorite to win the White House -- but every new day brings the type of news every campaign dreads, and the certainty that eking out win will require a grueling, ugly trip through the meat...
PharMerica Joins Successful New LTC Pharmacy Coalition
The only Washington, DC-based advocacy organization representing the interests of the nation's long term care (LTC) pharmacy sector, the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC), scored a major coup in August when it welcomed a major national provider of LTC pharmacy...
GOP Senate Candidates Get Obamacare Gift For Campaign Endgame
As reported in several media outlets this week, the first handful of states have released approved 2017 rates for people who buy health insurance on their own and the results are scary news for Democratic Senate and House candidates wrestling with the fact there are...
Blasting NM Gov. Martinez, Trump Again Backslides
It's uncanny: just as GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump appears to have turned a corner in his effort to consolidate GOP support, on the one hand, while tempering his general behavior to attract wavering persuadeables open to 'change', on the other, Trump screws...
Data: 2016 GOP Coalition Will Resemble Dem Party of 1930’s
Tom Edsall’s New York Times piece, “The Great Trump Reshuffle” is the most fascinating look at polling and demographic data in months, and the implications of Donald Trump leading the 2016 Republican ticket to the Republican Party’s future are...
Cruz and Kasich Empower Trump Rationale
I previously posted it was highly unlikely Donald Trump would get a second chance to put this contest away after a triumvirate of gaffes and miscues over a month ago -- specifically his abortion debacle, where he took three positions within twenty four hours,...
One Obamacare Benefit: Care Delivery Reform
President Obama's signature Affordable Care Act (ACA) -- better known as "Obamacare" -- has suffered years of negative publicity and controversy, most of it warranted. But one beneficial aspect of the law almost universally missed in the public discussion is the law's...
A Second Chance for Trump to Put it Away? Doubtful
May 5, 2016 editorial note: As Trump is now the presumptive GOP nominee, I am incorrect below -- now the fourth time I have incorrectly predicted his demise. At the presidential campaign level, getting a second chance to put a race away is a rarity -- if it's in your...
Unions on the Wane In New York City
In the 1970s, union members were a monopoly in the New York City construction labor market. At the time, card-carrying union workers made up a stunning 90 percent of the city’s construction workforce. Not surprisingly, due to cost-cutting, that number is down...
Marco Rubio’s Lowbrow Gamble — Both Sides of the Coin
When GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio recently decided to abandon his positive, aspirational message and go toe to toe with Donald Trump in the lowbrow realm of personal ad hominem attacks, I considered it one of the most ill-conceived PR moves I'd seen in...
Trump Errs By Saying He’s Being Audited
The lively CNN debate from Houston tonight featured a variety of ad hominem attacks between Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz -- reflecting the fact Cruz and Rubio must quickly change the dynamic as Trump steamrolls towards an overwhelming Super Tuesday victory...
Fake Rubio-Obama Photo Perpetuates Cruz Dishonesty Narrative
My disclaimer here at the top: I worked for Scott Walker before he suspended his effort last fall, and remain neutral in the GOP presidential primary. As for "defining" opponents and launching waves of fact-based attacks in every available medium, I'm all for it. I've...
Terror Issue Boosts Ron Johnson Senate Re-Elect Bid
According to most reputable political prognosticators -- and they happen to be correct -- GOP Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) are the two most vulnerable Republican incumbents. From his perch on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs...
Democrats Also Working to Undermine Obamacare
With so much news coverage devoted to GOP efforts to sink the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare, the law is facing substantial problems largely of Democrats' making in the year-end budget deal. When Democrats joined with Republicans to delay the...
Senate GOP Medicaid Repeal: Win the Battle But Possibly Lose The War
With pressure from conservatives to finally "kill" Obamacare, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) apparently has the votes to pass a repeal bill that also includes a provision to gut an expansion of Medicaid, which put millions of low-income Americans on the...
NBC News “Survey Monkey Poll” Adds to Methodological Morass
NBC News, to its credit, has teamed with the Wall Street Journal for a number of years to field national polls conducted by the polling team of Public Opinion Strategies (R) and Hart Research Associates (D). The survey has long been considered one of the best media...
New Bipartisan Poll Finds Grateful Dead Popular Across Party Lines, All Age Groups
With the Grateful Dead's final "Fare Thee Well" tour celebrating the band's 50th anniversary now heading from Santa Clara, CA to Chicago's Soldier Field for three final shows next weekend, a new bipartisan national poll conducted by the Mellman Group (D) and Public...
In Koch vs. RNC Battle, Koch’s Will Prevail
It was always inevitable that the Koch forces, in the form of Freedom Partners, would clash with the Republican National Committee (RNC) about control of voter contact data. The hard truth is that the RNC is on the wrong side of history, and not yet fully cognizant of...
Sen. Ron Johnson’s Pragmatic Plan if SCOTUS Rules for King
The reality is simple: the GOP Senate and House will not soon be unifying around a singular plan to repeal Obamacare. And if the Supreme Court rules for the plaintiff in the King v. Burwell case to eliminate subsidies received by the 8 million enrolled in health care...
Jeb Bush Speaks Truth on GWB’s Big Spending
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush was asked by a voter at an event in Concord, New Hampshire, if there was an issue where there's big space between he and his brother. "Sure, I think that in Washington during my brother's time Republicans spent too much money," Bush...
The GOP, State Exchanges and King v. Burwell
Now mired in the Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) funding morass, the congressional GOP majority and GOP governors are now bracing for another potential public relations disaster. If the Supreme Court rules that federal subsidies to the so-called "fallback" federal...
2014 Midterms: The Repudiation of President Obama
The 2014 midterm is over and there are many simple truths -- the first of which is voters marched to the polls to send Barack Obama the message that he's presiding over a failing Presidency. Nothing more, nothing less. The horrendous result for Democrats, to be...
Obamacare Here to Stay, Regardless of Political Rhetoric
Ohio GOP Governor John Kasich is taking heat for saying that Obamacare will not be repealed, even if the GOP takes the Senate (it will) on election day. The truth is that Kasich is right: nine GOP governors have already expanded Medicaid for their low income residents...
Mark Udall’s a Real Nice Guy
Cory Gardner is running one of the best GOP U.S. Senate races in the country -- if not THE best. And his most recent ad saying Mark Udall's a "real nice guy" is a terrific spot that appears positive on its face but then manages to gut Udall by noting Udall and his...
The Plight of Kansas GOP Senator Pat Roberts
Kansas GOP Senator Pat Roberts has a challenging race -- lets establish that as a fact. But at the end of the day he will win. In campaigns, especially, things are generally never as 'bad' as they first appear nor as 'good' as they first appear. Right now, the 'bad'...
ACA Prompts More LTC Industry Consolidation
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to prompt consolidation in the long term care industry as Genesis Healthcare and Skilled Healthcare, Inc. will merge to create a 500+ facility long term and post acute care entity. The firms cited the fact the ACA is further...
Perdue Georgia Win Bad News for Michelle Nunn
In what Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post accurately characterized as a "mild surprise," David Perdue's win over U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston in the Georgia GOP Senate run-off will make it even harder for Democrat Michelle Nunn to win the seat -- not easier. Why?...
McDaniel Should Responsibly Close Door on MS Senate Runoff Loss
In the span of just hours, the national tea party community went from rubbing their collective hands in anticipatory glee about the certain defeat of incumbent Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran, to wringing their hands in unbridled frustration that GOP challenger Chris...
Cantor Campaign Team Blames Dems For Loss
In an interview with The Hill, Eric Cantor's top campaign aide Ray Allen said Democrats are to blame for the defeat -- Democrats who crossed over to meddle in the GOP primary. That's a far-fetched explanation, and simply not credible as a sole-source answer. Yet, its...
The Obamacare Irony of National, Not State Exchanges
The original intent of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to establish 50 state exchanges run by the 50 states themselves — the federal exchange was always meant to be a temporary fallback. Instead, 36 states currently rely upon the federal...
Oregon Exchange Fiasco Keeps Negative Focus on Merkley
The announcement from Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber that he will ask the state Attorney General to sue Oracle, the contractor behind the state's failed Obamacare exchange, is great news for GOP Senate candidate Monica Wehby as it assures the fiasco will remain in the...
WSJ: The Real Reasons GOP Insurgents Losing Primaries
The Wall Street Journal editorial "Tea Party Agonistes" lays everything out perfectly: "The media's latest political line is that the Republican establishment has finally crushed the tea party. The truth, as usual, is more interesting. The tea party has already...
Sasse Nebraska Win No Tea Party Vs. Establishment Story
While it's a fact that the Club for Growth and other "anti-establishment" organizations spent $2.4 million to help elect Nebraska GOP Senate primary victor Ben Sasse, characterizing Sasse's victory as a 'defeat' for the 'establishment' wing of the GOP is more...
Avalanche of Questionable Polling Data Taints Reporting
It's well known that its harder than ever to complete a live phone call survey, and takes an increasing amount of time and money to query a requisite number of cell phone users in the ultimate sample. And with the preponderance of IVR robo-polls and 'internet polls'...
Mark Warner Campaign Appears Unaware of Danger
Incumbent Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) is currently characterized by Beltway observers as a relatively safe bet to win his race against his GOP opponent, Ed Gillespie -- but the question isn't whether this race will get close, the question is when Warner and his team...
CMS Medicare Pay Data Release A Transparency Milestone
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will today make available billions of dollars in Medicare payments to physicians -- an unprecedented disclosure representing a new milestone in price transparency. Generally, the disclosure is being welcomed by...
Ongoing Obamacare Confusion a Persistent Problem
Among the many ominous developments surrounding the ongoing saga known as "Obamacare" is the fact millions of Americans still have no clue about how to get enrolled, the deadlines involved, and the ramifications for not signing up. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey...
Marco Rubio Making Moves, Making News
Last year’s storyline on Marco Rubio? After a failed attempt on immigration reform, he’s washed up as a 2016 presidential contender. The new 2014 storyline? Rubio is resurrecting his presidential prospects with smart public relations activities on the...
Pat Roberts’ Staff Fumbling Kansas Visit Issue
Pat Roberts of Kansas is an excellent U.S. Senator -- but instead of his positive record and opposition to Obamacare driving press coverage, his staff has fumbled its way into a dangerous situation: first they said they would release information detailing his in-state...
First RGA 2014 Ad Links Incumbent to Obama, Pelosi
The messaging of the first Republican Governors Association (RGA) ad of the 2014 cycle targeting Dem Gov. Mike Ross in Arkansas obviously serves as a template of what's to come in a handful of races involving Dem candidates who are current or former members of...
Obamacare PR Disasters: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
With a preponderance of fresh non-partisan data showing North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan underwater in her job performance rating, and trailing several of the GOP primary candidates now vying for the opportunity to face her, the last thing she and her campaign needed...
Scott Walker Meet-Up With Obama Sign Of Strength, Not Weakness
While his gubernatorial opponent Mary Burke will be "out of town" when President Obama hits Wisconsin today, Governor Scott Walker will greet him at the airport to discuss Wisconsin's propane shortage, according to local news reports. Good move in the optics...
Michigan Gov Race Slipping Away From Democrats
For the very first time in months, the Democrats are showing signs of life in their effort to topple incumbent GOP Governor Rick Snyder. The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) is launching what it says as a three week, $1 million media buy to slam Snyder. The two...
Headcount Interview With Politico’s Jake Sherman About Grateful Dead, Phish
Here's a quick change of pace away from politics, health policy and public affairs topics: In my capacity as a Headcount board member, I proposed a periodic interview with members of the media and Democrat and GOP consultants who just happen to be fans of the jamband...
Fresh Attack Angles on Obamacare To Keep Issue Alive
As the GOP opens the legislative year attacking the lack of security surrounding the Obamacare website sign-up process, a broader list of attack angles to be employed by GOP lawmakers is being reported by Politico. This signals a months-long assault on Obamacare with...
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley More Vulnerable Than Appears
Having worked on two of former GOP Senator Gordon Smith's campaigns, and having spent a bit of time on the ground in Oregon, there's no question incumbent Jeff Merkley has an advantage going into his 2014 reelection. Nevertheless, the incumbent's body language of late...
Mary Landrieu Ends 2013 On the Run
Along with President Obama's broken promise regarding Americans' ability to keep their health care plan comes the growing electoral problems for Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu -- who ends 2013 on the run more than any other Senate Dem incumbent facing reelection in...
McCain-Feingold Diminishes Party Ad Spending — Big Time
In a piece by Liz Wilner for the Cook Political Report, she reports: "In the 2014 midterm elections, outside groups are on track to account for a majority of all TV ad spending. In a recent talk for the association of local TV broadcasters, the University of San...
Tavenner Sidesteps Culpability on Obamacare Rollout
CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, caught in the middle of the firestorm surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rollout debacle has, legitimately, been spared much of the blame. Tavenner retains much of the bipartisan support she had when the U.S. Senate confirmed...
Credit Cuccinelli Campaign for Keeping It Close Amid Negative Ad Avalanche
The news, obviously, is that Terry McAuliffe won the Virginia Governor's race -- but it was a win where he was holding on at the end; holding on as the Cuccinelli forces did the only thing they could after getting badly outgunned on TV: use President Obama's late...
Lamar Alexander Takes On Tea Party In TN Reelect
As reported in today's Washington Post, Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander is taking on the tea party frontally in his re-election campaign, and it's a smart formula that will work for him. While, on the one hand, he's co-opting tea party anti-Obamacare messaging by...
Cuccinelli Getting Blown Out on Airwaves
Listenting to the growing chorus of complaints about the competence of gubernatorial campaign of Ken Cuccinelli, one most frequently hears that he "doesn't have a message" or that his entire campaign consists of simply slamming the ethics-challenged Terry McAuliffe....
Bogus AP Story On McAuliffe Warrants More Outrage
Before a news organization runs with a story that can affect the course of a major political campaign, much less one's reputation, they need to have the facts nailed down. And when the facts are wrong, the media outlet deserves to be skewered and held accountable just...
Charlie Cook: Wendy Davis Will Lose
While it's hardly an earth-shattering prediction, it's still news: Charlie Cook told a National Journal member briefing this morning that while Democrats will use the Texas Governor's race as a party building exercise, Wendy Davis is "going to lose; she has no chance...
Wendy Davis Will Excite, But Will Not Win
There's no question about it, Texas Democrat Wendy Davis is a political star with a compelling, uplifting personal story: From trailer park to Harvard Law School is emblematic of the American Dream, and you can't take that away from her. But can she win the Texas...
Cruz Engages Mainstream Media in Impressive Manner
While Texas Senator Ted Cruz is plunging the nation and the Republican Party into an ultra-risky, ill-considered government shutdown -- with no apparent longer term strategy -- he deserves credit for engaging the so-called mainstream media with face to face...
Ted Cruz Deserves Brickbats, But Also Credit for Brilliant PR
Newt Gingrich, Vin Weber, Bob Walker and Conservative Opportunity Society (COS) members used House 'special orders' and a captive C-Span camera in the 1980's to frustrate and ultimately take down House Speaker Jim Wright -- and now Ted Cruz figured out a way to use...
Successful DC Advocacy Requires Local, Not DC Emphasis
With so much special interest money in Washington being thrown into issues advocacy efforts to help convince federal lawmakers to support a specific legislative priority or action, a key consideration is what percentage of the total paid media budget will be spent...
Local Support From Hospitals, Business Groups Saving Obamacare Implementation
Congress has been back in legislative session for just two days since its summer break, and the Syrian imbroglio is all-consuming and taking up all the oxygen in both legislative chambers. But back in the states -- out in the real world -- Obamacare implementation is...
House GOP Plays Messaging Jiu Jitsu With Obamacare
House Speaker John Boehner, largely playing defense throughout 2013, turned the tables on the Obama Administration's effort to implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by playing some smart messaging jiu-jitsu. As the President has already called for a one year delay...
GOP Chaos?… Yes, But…
The relentless reporting in the media about internal GOP chaos in the aftermath of Mitt Romney's defeat is entirely accurate. But that's not all a bad thing if you're a young Republican operative looking to make a mark and get some notice of your talent. Chaos breeds...
Kasich: Full Speed Ahead With Medicaid Expansion
In announcing his support for Medicaid expansion, Ohio Governor John Kasich said that while he "opposes" Obamacare his move "makes great sense for the state of Ohio." As FL GOP Gov. Rick Scott and AZ GOP Gov. Jan Brewer have already signed on to Medicaid expansion,...
Enitlement Reform Options: The Clear Leaders
While it appeared a "Grand Bargain" was conceivable following the 2012 election, the unfortunate fact in the wake of President Obama's ideologically combative State of the Union speech -- and other recent smoke signals from Senate leadership offices -- is that we're...