Brad Woodhouse

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Brad Woodhouse as of February 2009, is the Director of Communications and Research for the Democratic National Committee,[1][2] now the home of Barack Obama's massive fundraising and email list known as Organizing for America. Woodhouse was most recently president of Americans United for Change, communications director for USAction, and listed as a press contact for Americans Against Escalation in Iraq.

Woodhouse' Role in Managing the Anti-War Movement for the Democrats

In February, 2008 journalists Matt Taibbi analyzed how the MoveOn-led Americans Against Escalation in Iraq has become "a political tool for the Democrats — one operated from inside the Beltway and devoted primarily to targeting Republicans. ... At the forefront of the groups are [former MoveOn lobbyist] Tom Matzzie and Brad Woodhouse... [M]uch of the anti-war group's leadership hails from a consulting firm called Hildebrand Tewes Consulting — whose partners Steve Hildebrand and Paul Tewes served as staffers for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. ... This is the kind of conflict of interest that would normally be an embarrassment in the activist community. ... The really tragic thing about the Democratic surrender on Iraq is that it's now all but guaranteed that the war will be off the table during the presidential campaign. Once again — it happened in 2002, 2004 and 2006 — the Democrats have essentially decided to rely on the voters to give them credit for being anti-war, despite the fact that, for all the noise they've made to the contrary, in the end they've done nothing but vote for war and cough up every dime they've been asked to give, every step of the way."[3]

Woodhouse, "a Democratic operative from Raleigh," North Carolina, is a former spokesman for U.S. Senator Jon Corzine at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee[4] and "campaign press secretary for Erskine Bowles' 2002 Senate campaign against Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole." He "also used to work for Congressman Bob Etheridge."[5]

Prolific E-mailer

"Brad Woodhouse may be the most prolific e-mailer in politics. The former spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, now the flack for Americans United to Protect Social Security, a group fighting the Bush Social Security plan, Woodhouse sent out 68 e-mails in March and 58 in April to the 3,000 journalists on his list. Over that period, his daily high -- seven e-mails -- was reached twice, on March 2 and April 25. His May output is languishing -- eight e-mails as of midday Friday -- but one e-mail was accidentally sent several times Wednesday. Woodhouse reports that the group's computer server has strained under the load but "not a catastrophic meltdown or anything," wrote Dana Milbank.[6]

Articles and Resources

Related SourceWatch Articles

References

  1. "Woodhouse Returns to DNC; Finney Starts Consulting Firm", Potomac Flacks, February 24, 2009.
  2. Chris Cillizza, "Woodhouse to DNC", Washington Post, June 20, 2008.
  3. Matt Taibbi, "The Chicken Doves", Rolling Stone, February 21, 2008.
  4. Wally Edge, "Where are they now?", PolitickerNJ.com, February 20, 2007.
  5. Lynn Bonner, Jerry Allegood and Rob Christensen, "Legislative Building a little too lively at times: Raleigh pol wins post", The News & Observer, February 21, 2007.
  6. Dana Milbank, "Never Too Soon to Build the War Chest", Washington Post, May 8, 2005.

External links