The Tom and Dick show is fast becoming one of Washington's top K Street attractions, as former House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt and his former chief of staff Tom O'Donnell grow a fledgling firm into an Obama-powered big dog.
"I don't think there's any doubt for Democratic lobbyists that the election of the president changed the need for clients to hire Democratic lobbyists," O'Donnell said. "If you're going to hire a Democrat, Gephardt's got a pretty good name in the Democratic world."
Founded in 2007, the Gephardt Group pulled down almost $750,000 more in the first quarter of this year than its quarterly average from 2008, according to CRP.
And no wonder. Gephardt knows many of the administration's top officials and is particularly friendly with Vice President Joe Biden, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
O'Donnell, on the other hand, is tight with the staffers and has known Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and Biden chief of staff Ron Klain for more than two decades. He even gave White House congressional liaison Dan Turton his first job out of school, answering phones in Gephardt's office.
Breaux and Gephardt. Gerard and Maloney. Berman and Podesta. According to First Street, these were among the most powerful lobbyists in Washington this year.
...Tom O'Donnell, Gephardt Government Affairs Group. O'Donnell and his former Capitol Hill boss, ex-House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (Mo.), have done well since joining forces...
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Gephardt's former chief of staff Tom O'Donnell talks to National Journal about post-debt ceiling debate prospects for bipartisanship.
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Debt-limit votes have been called the "burden of the majority" — an unpleasant chore that needed to be done by whichever party happens to be in power.
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Christina Hamilton, Former Chief of Staff to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey, will join the firm. As a Senior Vice President with the firm, Christina will support the firm’s health, energy, transportation, trade and appropriations clients.
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Life on the outside after more than 41 years in Congress hasn’t been much different for former House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis. — or so it seems.
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Dick Gephardt participated in Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s welcoming lunch honoring Her Excellency Dr. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.
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Gephardt Government Affairs President & CEO Dick Gephardt announced that Former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey will join the firm.
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"If there was a tough leadership assignment in the country right now, it would be this job — at the top of everybody's list," says former House majority leader Richard Gephardt, who first recommended Panetta to President Clinton as his budget director. Panetta later became White House chief of staff.
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Dick comments on the "Gephardt rule" as the debt ceiling debate heats up.
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