Dan Shapiro
Daniel B. Shapiro is a longtime political operator in the US Senate and Congress with Democratic Party members of Congress. Shapiro worked briefly in the dying days of the second Clinton Administration as director for legislative affairs at the United States National Security Council.
He is touted as: "He is a foreign policy specialist with particular expertise in the Middle East." [1] In 2007, Shapiro emerged as an advisor/strategist ("work on Middle East issues and Jewish outreach") for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign and joined the Washington D.C. lobbying firm, Timmons and Company. [2] [3]
Working for Obama
Shapiro's ascendance coincided with Obama's emphasis on proving his pro-Israel credentials in the form of several speeches in front of Jewish audiences; Obama will also deliver a major speech at the 2007 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference. James D. Besser writing for the Jewish Week outlines the effect Shapiro's recruitment will have:
- With millions of campaign dollars at stake as well as votes in a handful of key primary states, the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is poised to dramatically increase its Jewish outreach.
That includes the recruitment of top Jewish donors and advisers, and an expected major speech on Israel and the Middle East that a Democratic insider said "will set the baseline and establish Sen. Obama as a reliable, strong supporter of Israel."[4]
Career
- (2007) Advisor, strategist and fund-raiser for Sen. Barack Obama. Shapiro will concurrently work with Timmons and Company (a lobbying firm with cable-industry clients); [5]
- (2003 - 2007) Legislative advisor, and later deputy chief of staff to Florida Democratic Party Senator Bill Nelson [6]
- National Security Council -- official during the Clinton administation; Congressional liaison for National Security Adviser Sandy Berger;
- (1995 -1999) Legislative assistant and senior foreign policy adviser to California Democratic Party Senator Dianne Feinstein.
- (1993 - 1995) as a professional staff member on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East, under Chairman Lee Hamilton (D-Indiana).
- State Dept. position at the US embassy in the United Arab Emirates
External Sources
- United Jewish Communities, "International Lion of Judah Conference: Bios", undated, accessed February 2007.
- James D. Besser, "Obama Set For Big Jewish Push", Jewish Week, 16 Feb 2007.
- U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, "Nelson names longtime associate new chief of staff", Media Release, March 25, 2003.
- Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, "Hires of the Week", Washington Post, February 13, 2007; Page A19.
- David Mikhail, "Divide over Palestinian authority could derail bill to limit funding" The Hill, March 2, 2006.
