USA Common Purpose Project Washington DC uniting top left-leaning Obama officials

Common Purpose Project- Washington

The Common Purpose Project meets "every Tuesday afternoon at the Capitol Hilton" in Washington, DC, and "brings together the top officials from a range of left-leaning organizations, from labor groups like Change to Win to activists like MoveOn.org, all in support of the White House's agenda. The group has an overlapping membership with a daily 8:45 a.m. call run by the Center for American Progress' and Media Matters' political arms; with the new field-oriented coalition Unity '09; and with the groups that allied to back the budget as the Campaign to Rebuild and Renew America Now. Unlike those other groups, however, the Common Purpose meeting has involved a White House official, communications director Ellen Moran, two sources familiar with the meeting said. It's aimed, said one, at 'providing a way for the White House to manage its relationships with some of these independent groups.' The group's founder, political consultant and former Gephardt aide Erik Smith, described it in general terms after others had confirmed its existence. 'The goal is to convene a group of people that identify the most effective progressive messages and to advance a progressive policy agenda,' said Smith. ... Common Purpose is formed as a 501(c)(4), which leaves it focused on policy, rather than electoral, work. Its political director is another former Obama aide, Miti Sathe. Part of the group's role is to enforce a kind of message discipline." [1]

Common Purpose Project is run through the PR firm Blue Engine Message & Media. It enforces message discipline among liberal organizations and coordinates closely with Progressive Media, another part of the pro-Obama messaging and strategy operation.[2]

Erik Smith is the founder of the pro-Obama strategy and messaging operation called Common Purpose and works for the political consulting firm Blue Engine Message & Media.

According to his website he "provides strategic counsel to corporations, non-profits and individuals on the development, planning and implementation of comprehensive communications strategies. Most often, these engagements deal with complex legal or regulatory situations such as crisis, litigation, legislative challenge, regulatory change and leadership transition in such diverse industries as health care, financial services, consumer products and public policy advocacy. ... Smith served as the senior communications advisor to Rep. Dick Gephardt in the House Democratic Leader’s office and his 2004 presidential campaign where he developed multi-tiered communications strategies for economic, national security, domestic and foreign policy legislative initiatives, crises and campaign platforms. Prior to that, Smith was the Communications Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. ... In 2008, Smith was a paid media advisor to the Obama-Biden presidential campaign" and "also produced high-profile special events for the Obama campaign, including the 2008 Democratic National Convention and the historic 30-minute network television broadcast seen by more than 35 million viewers."[1]

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Common_Purpose_Project

Some US sources believe that CHIEF OF STAFF RAHM EMANUEL is the real brains behind the Common Purpose Project. Rahm Emanuel is the White House Chief of Staff. Prior to joining President Barack H. Obama's administration, Emanuel served in the House of Representatives, representing the fifth district of Illinois, and was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. As an advocate for Chicago's working families, Emanuel served on the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees taxes, trade, Social Security, and Medicare issues.

Appointed by then House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Emanuel served as Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2006 cycle. Under his leadership, Democrats gained 30 seats in the House without losing a single incumbent, and ushered in a new Democratic majority for the first time in more than a decade.

In January 2007, the new majority elected Emanuel to serve as Democratic Caucus Chair, the fourth-highest-ranking member of the House Democratic Leadership. As Chair, Emanuel led the Democratic Caucus in fulfilling its campaign promise to pass legislation reflecting the values and priorities of the American people.

Before being elected to Congress, Emanuel worked at the Chicago investment bank Wasserstein Perella. He was a core member of the Clinton White House from 1993 to 1998, starting as the national finance director for the 1992 campaign and eventually becoming Senior Adviser to the President for Policy and Strategy. In 1989, Emanuel was a senior adviser and chief fundraiser for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's campaign. He also played an important role in Paul Simon's 1984 campaign for the Senate.

Emanuel graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981 and received a Master's Degree in Speech and Communication from Northwestern University in 1985. He and his wife, Amy Rule, have three children, Zach, Ilana, and Leah.

Coincidental quotes from Obama and Brown (or something rather more) reported Sunday telegraph 2 March 2008. Barack Obama Iowa Dec 2007....... "You've shared with me your stories....A politics of COMMON PURPOSE...So that our young people can achieve their dreams.........I believe in the power of the American people".

Gordon Brown Birmingham March 2008......"The stories people have shared with me.......Our COMMON PURPOSE.........What Britain can achieve in the future..........I believe that everybody has a talent."