Moving Right Along
You probably know Danny Diaz for his ability to eat, berry, do tv, spin and raise four children all at the same time. Diaz, 33, the tireless chief spokesman for the Republican National Committee, is moving on from his party perch. He is starting his own firm, Diaz Communications, LLC, via which he'll do a hodgepodge of consulting, media relations, public affairs, campaign management and crisis communication. Diaz will be involved in the Employee Free Choice Act (read: fighting it) and assisting GOP candidates.
The Democratic National Committee is losing a fixture as well. Research Director Mike Gehrke, known for his regular "Flipper" missives skewering the GOP and for using a picture of the Peanuts' intense, piano-playing Schroeder as his profile image on Facebook, is also exiting his party job.
Diaz and Gehrke would probably agree on very little in the way of politics or policy but have in common a decency and general professionalism that stands out in the business.
We wish them well. Gehrke's letter to friends available after the jump.
Friends,Today is my last day at the Democratic National Committee. I am not given to long good byes, but this has been an unusual effort over the last two years, so bear with me while I thank and give credit to people who got us here.
Two years ago this month we launched our efforts with the goal to make sure that Republican Presidential candidates were held accountable for their positions and rhetoric during the primary campaigns. Then, I never would have guessed we would see 12 Republican candidates come and go, get to staff rapid response operations to 21 primary debates, upload hundreds of hours of tracking video to Flipper TV, produce dozens of web videos and send more press releases than we could count (though somebody always counted them :)
For all this, I want to thank Gov. Dean for seeing that an early concerted effort around the 2008 presidential election could be a potent 50-state organizing tool (and for letting me come back and help.) Kudos also go to Karen Finney and her Communications staff for being as smart, creative and aggressive as any I have seen. And I am especially indebted to my deputies Amy Wojcicki and David Schnitzer for pulling together the best Research team in Democratic politics and for doing the heavy lifting throughout. I hope that satisfaction with the end result made the long hours, low pay, cranky bosses and tedious tasks of research worthwhile. (Yep, that is my recruiting speech too). The Democratic community appreciates your efforts, and those of us who understand exactly what they were are truly impressed.
With that, here is your Final Flipper:
Mike Gehrke
Democratic National Committee
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