Chief of Staff Can Pick From Plenty of Cards

By Judy Sarasohn
Thursday, March 30, 2006

When Andrew H. Card Jr. walks out of the White House for the last time as chief of staff to President Bush on April 14, it's unlikely that he will be worrying about his next job. But just in case he runs into any obstacles, he has family to fall back on in the Washington lobbying biz.

Card's sister-in-law is Lorine Card , who runs a small lobby shop, Card & Associates . The name fits. Her clients have included Comcast and the National Cable Television Association.

Lorine Card is married to Card's brother, Brad Card , managing principal at Dutko Worldwide . He is registered to lobby for the Greater New York Hospital Association, the Essex County Sheriff's Office and software developer Cognos Corp.

Card's sister Alison "Lisi" Kaufman , who was chief of staff to then-Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans, might be able to pull a string or two. She's now senior vice president for government and international affairs at United Technologies Corp.

Of course, Andrew Card has his own experience in the lobby world -- he was chief lobbyist for General Motors Corp. and chief executive of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association.

"He hasn't spent 10 seconds thinking about it," said Ron Kaufman , chairman of Dutko's executive committee, who is separated from Alison Kaufman.

Ron Kaufman, who was White House personnel director and political director for President George H.W. Bush, said Card has "a gazillion choices," and "no one is more trusted and loved" here than Card.

Duo to Join C&M Capitolink

C&M Capitolink , a lobbying and consulting subsidiary of the law firm Crowell & Moring , has landed Paul D. Behrends from the defunct Alexander Strategy Group and Patrick J. Donnelly from CropLife America.

John Thorne , president of C&M Capitolink, said that while the seven-person shop is known for its agricultural sector work, "Pat and Paul strengthen our bench and offer more diverse experience to our clients," including Behrends's defense and international policy work.

Behrends, a former national security adviser to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) is one of a number of folks who were left out in the cold when ASG closed in January because of its ties to lobbyist Jack Abramoff , who has pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges, and to Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), who is under scrutiny in the Abramoff case.

"We sought Paul out because he is well-known by clients and colleagues alike for being an effective straight shooter," Thorne said.

Behrends, who could not be reached for comment, has represented the International Peace Operations Association, a trade group for private security contractors, and was part of the ASG team that lobbied for Koch Industries and the American Bankers Association.

CropLife America, the pesticide industry trade group where Donnelly was executive vice president and chief operating officer, has been a longtime client of C&M Capitolink. Other clients include the American Meat Institute, the National Pork Producers Council and Smithfield Foods.

HillZoo.com Creator Hired at Mayer, Brown

Andrew Shore , former chief of staff for the House Republican Conference and creator of HillZoo.com, a Web site for Hill staffers, this week joined Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw in the law firm's government and global trade practice. Earlier, he worked for former House Ways and Means chairman Bill Archer (R-Tex.) and former House member Phillip Crane (R-Ill.).

"It was just time. . . . It's every issue every day and I was just getting tired," Shore said.

The government and global trade practice includes Peter Scher ; former U.S. trade representative Mickey Kantor ; James Jochum , former Bush administration assistant secretary of commerce and trade counsel to Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa); and Catherine Novelli , a former assistant U.S. trade representative.

Here and There

David E. Hebert , formerly chief of staff for Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and more recently a lawyer at Alston & Bird , is joining the American Health Care Association next month as senior vice president of policy and government relations. The trade group represents nursing homes, assisted-living residences and other types of facilities.

Sprint Nextel has signed on two new directors of government affairs: Melinda Lewis , previously a lobbyist for the National Association of Broadcasters and Major League Baseball, and Laura McPherson , who was at CTIA, the wireless industry association.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman recently pinched two more lawyers from Patton Boggs for its public policy practice. Hakkyun Kim and Kristina Pisanelli will reunite with six of their former colleagues who joined Pillsbury in February. Kim is a former economist at the Bank of Korea. Pisanelli earlier worked for Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

David Mohler , a senior vice president at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, is joining Foley Hoag in the law firm's life sciences and government strategies practices.

Debra Barrett , a former health care policy aide to Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Christopher Dodd (Conn.) and Leahy, has joined Teva USA as vice president of government affairs. Between the Senate and Teva, she was a lobbyist at the Washington Group .