The Hill: Lobbying World

• Ethan Rome has joined Healthcare For America Now (HCAN) as deputy campaign manager. Since 2002, Rome has worked with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) as its director of public affairs. Rome will work with Richard Kirsch, HCAN’s national campaign manager.
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has promoted Pete Lawson [...]

The Hill: Bottom Line

• ENERGY. Dewey Square Group is lobbying for Boston-Power, which makes lithium-ion batteries. The lobbying and public-relations firm is seeking “federal financial incentives to encourage and promote the establishment of a domestic advanced battery manufacturing capability,” according to lobbying records.
Heather Podesta + Partners is lobbying for Southern Co. Podesta, a former counsel to the late [...]

The Page: McAuliffe’s Money Advantage

WashPost looks at the former Clinton aide’s fundraising prowress and how it could give him an edge in his bid for Virginia governor.

Orlando Sentinel: House speaker’s office regularly purges e-mails

House Speaker Ray Sansom’s office deletes e-mails about its business dealings every month, in part because lawmakers have fewer restrictions on preserving their records than most of state government.
Sansom’s deleted-items folder has become an issue after reporters made public records requests for some of his correspondence. Reporters wanted e-mails Sansom exchanged with the president of [...]

Politico: Liberal legal group comes to the fore

Sixteen appointees and advisers helping president-elect Barack Obama’s Justice Department transition efforts all recently sat on the board of an organization little known outside legal circles: The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.
The liberal legal network, which blossomed during eight years of Democratic exile, counts as its veterans Obama’s choice for attorney general, Eric Holder: [...]

Politico: Congress issues inaugural advisory

The Congressional Inaugural Committee issued an “inaugural advisory” today that seems to contain some unspoken advice: stay home and catch history on TV.
Otherwise, the millions who want to brave the weather (“usually quite cold and often rainy or snowy”) and descend on the nation’s capital on Jan. 20 will face long walks and “crush-level” crowds on [...]

Politico: Penn’s firm resigns Pakistan account

Opposition researchers dredging up tough questions for Hillary Clinton’s secretary of state confirmation hearings have just lost a key piece of ammunition: The global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller, headed by her campaign strategist Mark Penn, has quietly ended a two-year relationship with the Pakistan People’s Party, the ruling party of Pakistan.
The questions could have been [...]

Politico: House Dems look ahead to tough cycle

House Democrats are warning the party faithful of a difficult election cycle ahead, with as many as 70 party-held seats in danger.
“We have a daunting challenge ahead in the 2010 midterm elections,” Democratic House campaign chief Chris Van Hollen says in a year-end Web video thanking supporters. “Many of our new members are from conservative [...]

House Republicans Appoint Members to Earmark Reform Committee

House Republicans today announced the 10 Members of an earmark reform panel established last month by the House GOP during organizational meetings for the 111th Congress, and urged House Democratic leaders to follow suit by naming 10 of their own Members to the panel in order to begin a bipartisan dialogue on earmark reform.  The [...]

Merry Christmas!

The Influentialist is on holiday hiatus and will be back on Monday, December 29.
Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy Christmas.
-Andrew