The Shadow President
How John Podesta invented the Obama administration.
Michael Crowley
The New Republic
Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The bright young think tank staffers at the progressive Center for American Progress (CAP) admire their boss, John Podesta. Podesta, who is also co-managing Barack Obama's presidential transition team, possesses energy (he is a workaholic and marathon runner), colorful quirks (a UFO buff, he has pressed for more government disclosure about reported alien sightings), and an unabashed willingness to dance himself into a sweaty frenzy at a party filled with people half his age (59). But the staffers also fear his darker side. They fear ... Skippy.
Skippy is the name--coined during Podesta's years as a top Clinton White House staffer--for Podesta's evil alter ego. Skippy is cutting, acerbic, impatient, and doesn't suffer fools gladly. Skippy will gladly tell you when you don't know what the hell you're talking about. And so, before arriving at a meeting to brief Podesta on some issue of importance, CAP staffers will nervously confer with one another. "I really want to avoid Skippy tomorrow," they might say, checking to make sure their presentations are solid enough to avoid provoking Podesta's anger.
If that sounds like a tough work environment, it's also just what Democrats need. For years, the party has specialized in chaotic and self-destructive internal feuding that was partly responsible for the rise of the Bush Republicans. The Iraq disaster and the thrill of the Obama campaign have created the temporary appearance of unity. But the question is whether that will last once Democrats begin governing.
If CAP is any indication, chances are that discipline will prevail. And no one has been more influential in creating that new ethos of single-minded purpose than John Podesta and his whip-wielding pal, Skippy. In the past five years, Podesta has turned his think tank into a combination of highly efficient liberal war room and Democratic administration-in-waiting. That feat, along with his crucial role running the Obama transition, has made Podesta arguably the second-most important figure in his party. And, while Podesta announced this week that he won't leave CAP to join Obama's White House team, in many ways the Obama presidency will reflect his influence in the years ahead.
(More here.)
Michael Crowley
The New Republic
Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The bright young think tank staffers at the progressive Center for American Progress (CAP) admire their boss, John Podesta. Podesta, who is also co-managing Barack Obama's presidential transition team, possesses energy (he is a workaholic and marathon runner), colorful quirks (a UFO buff, he has pressed for more government disclosure about reported alien sightings), and an unabashed willingness to dance himself into a sweaty frenzy at a party filled with people half his age (59). But the staffers also fear his darker side. They fear ... Skippy.
Skippy is the name--coined during Podesta's years as a top Clinton White House staffer--for Podesta's evil alter ego. Skippy is cutting, acerbic, impatient, and doesn't suffer fools gladly. Skippy will gladly tell you when you don't know what the hell you're talking about. And so, before arriving at a meeting to brief Podesta on some issue of importance, CAP staffers will nervously confer with one another. "I really want to avoid Skippy tomorrow," they might say, checking to make sure their presentations are solid enough to avoid provoking Podesta's anger.
If that sounds like a tough work environment, it's also just what Democrats need. For years, the party has specialized in chaotic and self-destructive internal feuding that was partly responsible for the rise of the Bush Republicans. The Iraq disaster and the thrill of the Obama campaign have created the temporary appearance of unity. But the question is whether that will last once Democrats begin governing.
If CAP is any indication, chances are that discipline will prevail. And no one has been more influential in creating that new ethos of single-minded purpose than John Podesta and his whip-wielding pal, Skippy. In the past five years, Podesta has turned his think tank into a combination of highly efficient liberal war room and Democratic administration-in-waiting. That feat, along with his crucial role running the Obama transition, has made Podesta arguably the second-most important figure in his party. And, while Podesta announced this week that he won't leave CAP to join Obama's White House team, in many ways the Obama presidency will reflect his influence in the years ahead.
(More here.)
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