New White House social secretary is prodigious Obama fund-raiser

The finance director of President Barack Obama's 2008 election campaign and a long-time Washington rainmaker has been appointed the new White House social secretary.

Julianna Smoot, professional fund-raiser who helped Mr Obama raise more money than any other presidential candidate in history, will take over from Desiree Rogers, who resigned last week because it was "a good time for me to explore opportunities in corporate world".

The White House denied that Ms Rogers was forced out as a result of the debacle in November when gatecrashers managed to get into Mr Obama's first State Dinner.

By naming Ms Smoot as her successor, the president risks accusations of hypocrisy and reneging on his promise to "change Washington". In a statement, Mr Obama said that she "shares our commitment to creating an inclusive, dynamic and culturally vibrant White House".

Ms Rogers, resplendent in a gold and cream strapless Naeem Khan gown, was attending the November dinner at the time of the gatecrashing episode and none of her staff was with the Secret Service at the gate. Her departure is a major blow for Mr Obama.

Ms Smoot is best known in Washington as a prodigious fund-raiser with one of the best contact lists in politics.

She has worked for five senators and is likely to be much more acceptable to the traditional Washington establishment than Ms Rogers, who came to be viewed with disdain by the city's elite.

Among the most prominent figures calling for Ms Rogers's removal was Sally Quinn, Washington's most prominent socialite and wife of Ben Bradlee, the former Washington Post editor. Ironically, Ms Quinn lost her Washington Post column last week after writing about a family row in which a mix-up led to the weddings of her son and step-granddaughter being scheduled for the same day.

She's part of the "inner circle...."

Obama's Brain Trust

The woman charged with asking them to part with their money was another Rouse hire, former Daschle finance chief Juliana Smoot.

Obama boasts a dedicated, high-powered inner circle

Julianna Smoot, finance director for the John Edwards 2004 campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2006, will fill the same role for Obama.

“The $75 Million Woman,” Washington Post, Monday, 8 October 2007

During the first week of December, Obama flew to New York, where billionaire George Soros had gathered wealthy executives in his office to meet the senator. Among those attending was Robert Wolf, the chief executive and chairman of UBS Americas, who had helped raise money for Sen. John F. Kerry’s 2004 presidential bid. They talked presidential politics, Wolf said, “but at that point there was no ask.” As he left, the banker handed his card to an Obama aide, and the senator called him early the next morning to invite him to dinner.

Smoot began traveling regularly with the senator so he could work the phones as he drove to events. It got so that Obama would grimace every time she got in the car with him, she said. Smoot’s previous job was with Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), an aggressive fundraiser who worked the phones fanatically and who had no hesitation about making “the ask.”

she had cobbled together using addresses collected during Obama’s earlier campaigns and ones rented from unusual sources, including Sojourners magazine and the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in Atlanta

creating almost overnight a network of “bundlers” — a core group of motivated supporters with the Rolodexes to bring along friends and associates.

Smoot, 40, the fast-talking daughter of a North Carolina golf pro

Smoot met in Iowa with more than 100 members of Obama’s national finance committee, a group of bundlers she helped recruit.

three months before Obama announced his bid, two of his senior advisers quietly approached Smoot with a proposition: Write us a memo explaining how you would mount a presidential fundraising drive, and if we like it, we’ll hire you.

Hildebrand and Obama’s Senate chief of staff, Pete Rouse, had worked on campaigns with Smoot. Hildebrand was the campaign manager when Smoot raised a staggering $21 million for the failed 2004 reelection bid of Sen. Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.). As Obama started contemplating a White House run, Hildebrand had a feeling that Smoot’s blend of Southern charm and brash straight talk might make a perfect counter to Obama’s more languid approach to fundraising.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/07/AR2007100701435.html

Julianna Smoot joined the Office of the United States Trade Representative in February 2009 as the Chief of Staff.

Prior to joining the USTR, Ms. Smoot served as Senior Advisor to President Obama and served as Co-Chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. In January 2007, Ms. Smoot joined President Obama’s Presidential Campaign as the National Finance Director. Prior to working for President Obama, Ms. Smoot served as National Finance Director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, chaired by Senator Charles Schumer.

Previously, Ms. Smoot served as Senior Advisor to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and as Finance Director for Senator John Edwards’ race for U.S. Senate. Ms. Smoot has also held positions with Senator Richard Durbin and Senator Chris Dodd.

Julianna Smoot, a North Carolina native, received her Bachelor’s Degree in Government from Smith College in Northampton , MA .

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