Manley moved to Washington to work as a temporary aide before being hired full-time as press assistant to Majority Leader George J. Mitchell (D-Maine.) in 1990. In that position, Manley spent long hours working with reporters and monitoring coverage. "I was the early morning guy doing the clips," Manley told Roll Call . "I stuck around at night because I was fascinated by the Senate and how it worked."

Manley moved to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's (D-Mass.) office in 1993 as a staffer on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. There, he said his most significant achievement was helping to pass the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which ensured disabled Americans equal access to work and home facilities.

Manley left his former position to accept a job as staff director for the Senate Democratic Communications Center under then-Minority Leader Reid in 2004. When the Democrats retook the majority in 2006, Manley returned to the office where he launched his Hill career, except that he now has one of the nicest desks with a direct view of the Washington Monument. Manley is the message maker for Senate Democrats, selling the party's agenda and going on the offense against Republicans.

In his spare time, Manley enjoys reading (his favorite author is Hunter S. Thompson) and golfing.

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