Clinton, Obama beef up campaign troops in R.I.
9:08 AM Mon, Feb 25, 2008 | Permalink
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With eight days to go until Rhode Island’s presidential primary, the Clinton and Obama campaigns are scrambling for Rhode Island’s 32 Democratic delegates. And that means a host of staff have been added to the candidates’ Rhode Island teams in recent weeks. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign has added four paid staff, including some familiar faces and a couple of newcomers to Ocean State politics. Christine Heenan is serving as Clinton’s communications director in Rhode Island, handling press inquiries and communications strategies, among other duties. That’s familiar territory for Heenan, 40, the head of the Clarendon Group, a Providence-based lobbying and communications firm that is active at the State House. The Rumford (East Providence) native, who also teaches at Brown University, previously served as a senior policy analyst on the White House Domestic Policy Council during the first Clinton administration, and as a speechwriter for both Clintons and for Al and Tipper Gore and Sen. Chris Dodd. Heenan is married to Michael Mello, who is working for GTECH after a stint as chief of staff to Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline. Another local business owner, Jennifer Bramley, 37, has been added as Clinton’s deputy communications director. Bramley co-founded Vision Strategies, the Cranston public relations, marketing and lobbying company with her husband, Bill Fischer. (Incidentally, the firm is getting $1,000 a month for legislative lobbying efforts for Beacon Mutual Insurance Co., according to the secretary of state’s office.) Bramley’s political history includes a stint as press secretary, communications director, and speechwriter for former Rhode Island Rep. Robert Weygand and Gen. Treas. Paul Tavares Besides those with strong Rhode Island ties, the Clinton campaign has hired Roger Lau as its state director, a role he held in Massachusetts before the camp’s Super Tuesday victory there. Lau, 30, of Lowell, managed Massachusetts Rep. Niki Tsongas’ special-election bid for the House of Representatives. He previously served as Sen. John Kerry’s Massachusetts’ press secretary. Clinton’s Rhode Island political director is Gina Ormand, 26, who most recently held roles on local primary campaigns in Tennessee, Arkansas and Massachusetts prior to Super Tuesday. The Atlanta native previously worked for Montana Sen. Jon Tester. Meanwhile, Barack Obama’s Rhode Island team has hired several out-of-state staffers with experience on the successful 2006 Rhode Island coordinated campaign, an effort much-lauded for helping Sheldon Whitehouse beat incumbent Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee. Obama’s state director is Mike Dorsey, a 34-year-old Minnesota native and University of Kansas graduate. Dorsey most recently directed state efforts in Missouri, served as Obama’s Midwest political director, and was the director of Rhode Island’s 2006 coordinated campaign. Tim Fraser worked with Dorsey as the regional field director for the coordinated campaign, and now serves as Obama’s local field director. Dorsey comes to the Ocean State after directing the campaign’s efforts in Arkansas, a challenging assignment to say the least, given the Clinton connection. Obama’s deputy field director is Julia Fox, a former field director for him in Massachusetts. And the campaign has hired Chris Torres as its lead organizer and Latino outreach coordinator. Torres also worked on the 2006 coordinated campaign in Rhode Island, but most recently served as Obama’s New Mexico field director. 
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What about Ron Paul's troops?!
see website! ronpaullibertyball.com/providence
INVITE EVERYONE!
Ron Paul Liberty Ball
Friday, Feb. 29th, 8pm
Living Room, 23 Rathbone St., Providence, RI 02908
All Ages Event, $10 cover
Seven GREAT BANDS!!
WOW! What a GREAT event to Rally Support For Ron PAUL before the Tuesday March 4th Primary -all registered unaffiliated and republicans VOTE for RON PAUL! Restore Liberty!
knowbeforeyouvote.com
see website! ronpaullibertyball.com/providence
see you there on FRIDAY!
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Hey Rhode Island. Let's seal the deal for Barak Obama. We're going to be part of history. OBAMA '08!
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