Dan Shapiro

Daniel B. Shapiro is a longtime political operator in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, particularly with Democratic members of Congress. Shapiro worked briefly at the United States National Security Council during the Clinton administration under Sandy Berger. He then worked first as legislative advisor and then deputy chief (mostly on foreign policy issues) to Rep. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

He is touted as: "... 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 was named vice president of Timmons and Company, a Washington D.C. lobbying firm with cable-industry clients. [2] [3][4]

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 February 16, 2007, 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."^[5]

Working for Senator Nelson

Senator Bill Nelson is a right-wing Florida politician who often co-sponsored rejectionist and extreme legislation together with other right-wing politicians. During Shapiro's four year tenure working with Nelson, there was frequent collaboration with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), and in the Senate by Sens. John Ensign, Tom Lantos, among others. Among the bills sponsored were the Syria Accountability Act of 2003 and the 2007 prohibition on US contacts with the Palestinian leadership. During Shapiro's relationship with Nelson there was frequent interaction between the Senator and AIPAC.

Career

• 2007 - Advisor, strategist and fund-raiser for Sen. Barack Obama. Shapiro will concurrently work with Timmons and Company. [6]
• 2003-2007 - Legislative advisor, and later deputy chief of staff to Florida Democratic Party Senator Bill Nelson. [7]
• National Security Council - Official during the Clinton administration; Congressional liaison for National Security Adviser Sandy Berger.
• 2004 - Council on Foreign Relations [8]
• 1995-1999 - Legislative assistant and senior foreign policy adviser to California Democratic Party Senator Dianne Feinstein.
• 1993-1995 - Professional staff member on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East, under Chairman Lee H. Hamilton (D-Ind.).
• U.S. Department of State position at the US embassy in the United Arab Emirates.

External Links

Profiles

• Biography, United Jewish Communities.
• United Jewish Communities, "International Lion of Judah Conference: Bios", undated, accessed February 2007.

Articles & Commentary

• U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, "Nelson names longtime associate new chief of staff", Media Release, March 25, 2003.
• David Mikhail, "Divide over Palestinian authority could derail bill to limit funding" The Hill, March 2, 2006.
• Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, "Hires of the Week", Washington Post, February 13, 2007; Page A19.
• James D. Besser, "Obama Set For Big Jewish Push", The Jewish Week, February 16, 2007.