GET OF THE WEEK: Matt Rhoades
The Fix's Chris Cillizza reports that Gov. Mitt Romney has retained the services of Matt Rhoades, the former research director of the RNC. Rhoades will be a senior communications strategist and probably serve the campaign as communications director. He'll work closely with Kevin Madden, brought on to be the national spokesman.
Rhoades was the research director for Bush-Cheney '04. He kept the Kerry portfolio. Whatever Kerry said, Rhaodes knew the ten things he'd say next. With Steve Schmidt, he ran the campaign's famous rapid-response warroom.
Campaign officials credit him with doing more than just about any other staffer to define John Kerry as weak, wimpy, French and flip-floppy -- an unacceptable Commander in Chief.
And now, he'll handle a larger portfolio, designing a communications strategy and overseeing research against opponents Republican and Democrat.
You won't see Rhoades quoted by name, and he rarely talks to the press. But Republican insiders say he has a preternatural understanding of news cycles and the folkways of the establishment (and non-establishment) media. And as Cillizza reports, he has a direct line to Matt Drudge, who can still (despite some slippage) drive network news coverage. Finally, he's one of the best opposition researchers in the business.
And that's why he's the Hotline's Get Of The Week.