Posted on 05/11/2015 11:20:26 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
Scott Walker has snagged a key Romney ally, attorney and foreign-policy hand Robert C. O’Brien, for his not-yet-announced presidential campaign. A spokeswoman for Walker’s 527 group, Our American Revival, confirmed that O’Brien will serve as a foreign-policy adviser.
O’Brien, sources say, decided to endorse Walker after being courted by several other Republican presidential contenders, including Texas senator Ted Cruz, former Texas governor Rick Perry, Florida senator Marco Rubio, and South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham. He is a personal friend of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, a fellow Mormon who served as a key foreign-policy adviser on the governor’s 2012 presidential campaign.
Walker is currently in Israel on what he has called a “listening tour,” and O’Brien was in Madison last week briefing the governor ahead of the trip.
“I cannot have favorites in the race, but the O’Brien primary was fascinating to watch because many, many candidates wanted him to join their team for the simple reason that he knows everybody in the national-security world,” says radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt, a friend of both O’Brien and Romney.
O’Brien, 49, is a managing partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm Arent Fox. He previously served as the alternate representative to the United Nations and as a legal officer there. Hewitt calls him a “five-tool player” who is not only knowledgeable about national-security matters, but also a talented attorney and communicator.
“Walker wins by having somebody who can communicate on national security,” Hewitt says.
Securing O’Brien’s backing is a boon for Walker, particularly because it is Rubio who has worked the hardest among the other candidates to cultivate Romney and his backers. Rubio, who was vetted as a potential vice-presidential nominee in 2012 and served as a key surrogate on Romney’s campaign, has developed a friendly relationship with the former Massachusetts governor. He has also snapped up some of the former governor’s most prominent campaign staffers, including his political director, Rich Beeson, and his New Hampshire strategist, Jim Merrill.
In the foreign-policy arena, Walker has now peeled off two of Romney’s most high-profile advisers.
But in the foreign-policy arena, Walker has now peeled off two of Romney’s most high-profile advisers. Former Missouri senator Jim Talent has already announced his support for Walker. Both O’Brien and Talent were part of a close-knit Romney team that traveled abroad with the governor to places such as Afghanistan, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates in 2011 as election season got underway.
It’s the latest salvo in the battle between the Republican candidates and potential candidates to lock down talent as they get up to speed on a host of national and international policy issues. In February, former Florida governor Jeb Bush announced a team of foreign-policy advisers that includes a hodgepodge of officials from both his father’s and his brother’s administrations and made waves in the policy community by forbidding them from advising other candidates.
Etch-a Sketch V2
I trust no one with a Romney aide.
This suggest Walker is FOR ObamaCARE/RomneyCARE
and wants to gruber America, like the malignant
backstabber, Mr. RomneyCARE.
"Shirley & Banister Public Affairs will be handling strategic communications for Walker’s Super PAC, the Unintimidated PAC, and providing historical context that will prove crucial for the campaign. Since the firm’s two partners—Craig Shirley and Diana Banister—are extraordinarily connected among major players in the conservative movement, they’ll be filling a key gap in Walker’s growing team of influential staffers.
“We’re delighted to join this fantastic team working on behalf of Governor Walker,” said Banister, President of SBPA. “His refreshing approach to important national issues, shows Governor Walker is a strong leader who is truly unintimidated by powerful political forces and the Washington-knows-best-mentality that often leaves behind the best interests of the American people. We gladly join him in this fight.”
“One of the hallmarks of SBPA is we only work with people with whom we agree and we not only agree with Governor Walker, we admire him,” Shirley said in an emailed statement to Breitbart News. “He is a conservative, he is honest, ethical, tough and principled. We are proud of our new association with Governor Walker.”....
Only to someone not very bright.
Tell us anything wrong with Romney's foreign policy.
People like get off on these kinds of witch hunts. I'd love to know the details of your life and put you under an anal exam since you love attacking great conservative candidates like Walker.
You're too stupid to realize these kinds of attack pave the way for Jeb Bush just like they paved the way for Romney in the last election cycle.
Why is it a coup getting someone from a losing campaign?
And that wasn’t Romney. He had very good advisors with their ears to the ground and looking hard at reality, not some fantasy.
Looks like you’ve been “Grubered.” Never trust anyone associated with Mitt.
You are nothing more than a liberal troll. Your objective is to divide conservatives and allow Jeb to win the nomination so Hillary can win the White House.
You avoid every attempt to dispute Walker’s clear conservative record as governor....a record that is better than Ronald Reagan’s.
I guess the fact that Ted Cruz wanted this guy means nothing to you, because you would be railing against Cruz if he was in the lead.
You simply will try to tear down any real CONSERVATIVE in the primary so someone like Romney or McCain or Bush win.
You are identified as the enemy.
~~Cruz, OR LOSE~~ Ted Cruz the only true Conservative in this race.
Hey stupid!!!! Did you see where Cruz wanted this guy on his team also?
Cruz supporters are the DUMBEST FReepers around!
LOL. There is an entire level of technocrats that are quite talented. You’d expect to find them in any GOP administration. We not going to get a purge. You work with the Army you have and it’s naïve to think you don’t have to.
“Hey stupid!!!! Did you see where Cruz wanted this guy on his team also?
Cruz supporters are the DUMBEST FReepers around! “
And you think this type of language reflects well on your candidate? Scott Walker doesn’t speak to people he disagrees with like that and I would believe that he wouldn’t want his supporters to represent him in that manner either.
If your candidate is the best candidate use the facts to persuade. They will stand or fall on their own. You will never win any followers by calling the opposition stupid because they probably think you are too.
Yes, I read that, but in this context, the Romney brand fits your guy.
To be clear, I do not dislike Walker, rather, I can’t stand his rude crybaby supporters.
~~Cruz, OR LOSE~~ Ted Cruz the only true Conservative in this race, even the duba$$ libs know that simple fact.
Working to land Romney’s people for your campaign is like going to an auction and bidding on dog turds.
Uh-oh.
You mean when he was ripping-off Gov. Sarah Palin's take from four years earlier?
...”Walkers record is unmatched in history”.....
Uh?....that’s a pretty broad statement ya know. So just how is that so? .....His accomplishments are already known so what is it that you ‘specifically’ are relating to that elevates him above ALL other politicians in history?
Passing bills and lowering tax’s....cutting funding and the like are pretty much what politicians do. That’s their job...so there must be something more specific you have in mind that rises him above all others?
Good Point
What’s up with all the name-calling you do? How old are you?
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