People in the news

Stephanie Cutter

Deputy to White House senior adviser David Plouffe (since January 2011)

(Ray Lustig/TWP)

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Assistant to the President for Special Projects (May 2010); Fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics (August 2009 to January 2011); Adviser to First Lady Michelle Obama (early 2010-May 2010); Communications director for the Treasury (January 2009 to August 2009); Spokesperson for President Barack Obama 's transition team (November 2008 to January 2009); Chief of staff for Michelle Obama (June 2008 to November 2008); Head of Cutter Media Group (2006 to 2008); Spokesperson for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (2004 to 2006)
Birthday: Oct. 22, 1968
Hometown: Raynham, Mass.

Alma Mater: Smith College, B.A. (government and economics), 1990; Georgetown University, J.D.
Email : N/A
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Path to Power

Cutter grew up in Raynham, Mass., with parents who were interested in politics. She said her parents and grandparents pushed her to get involved in local politics at a young age, and she studied government and economics at Smith College, graduating in 1990. While in college, she campaigned for Dukakis (D) during his 1988 presidential bid, and her first job after college was as a receptionist in then-New York Gov. Mario Cuomo's (D) D.C. office.

After working for Bill Clinton's (D) presidential campaign in 1992, Cutter took various jobs in the White House, eventually working her way up to deputy communications director. She went to Georgetown Law at night and earned her J.D. during her time at the White House. After leaving the White House at the end of Clinton's second term, she became Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's communications director for the next three years. "Not until I worked for Kennedy did my mother ever think I accomplished anything," she said.

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The Issues

For most of her career, Cutter focused on communications strategy, planning press briefings and pushing back on stories. "It really is like a game of ping-pong," she said, describing her relationship with the press during the campaign.

In 2008, Cutter had a much different role, working outside of communications for her first presidential campaign. She described her job as making sure Michelle Obama could provide a different perspective on her husband. "There is no greater validator for Barack Obama than Michelle Obama," Cutter said.

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The Network

Cutter worked with Mary Beth Cahill in the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's (D-Mass.) office, and then Cahill hired Cutter to work on Sen. John F. Kerry's (D-Mass.) presidential campaign in 2004. She worked as Michelle Obama's top aide during the 2008 presidential campaign.

She will work with the first lady's chief of staff, Susan Sher, on the first lady's childhood obesity initiative, begun in early 2010.

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Additional Resources