FOREIGN POLICY/ NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISORS

TOP ADVISORS:

Foreign Policy Coordinator

Denis McDonough
Foreign Policy Coordinator, briefs the candidate on all foreign affairs issues.
Center for American Progress Senior Fellow and former policy adviser to then-Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, and a Latin America specialist. McDonough is the youngest of the three key Obama foreign policy advisors, who also include Susan Rice and Anthony Lake (see below).
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Brain Trust Taking Shape" The New York Sun, February 21, 2008
"The Obama Doctrine"The American Prospect, March 24, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Members of Obama's National Security Working Group
[The following 13 names represent the group announced by Obama on June 18, 2008. As indicated, some members of this group play an active day-to-day role; others are not as centrally involved.]

Susan E. Rice
Former Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs at the State Department in the Clinton Administration. On leave from the Brookings Institution, plays a key role in foreign policy operation (along with Lake and McDonough).
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008
"The Obama Doctrine"The American Prospect, March 24, 2008
"Clinton veterans mix with new faces on Obama's campaign," AFP, June 23, 2008
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

W. Anthony (Tony) Lake
National Security Adviser in the Clinton Administration (1993-1997) and now a Professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Along with Rice and McDonough, a key foreign policy advisor.
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008
"The Obama Doctrine"The American Prospect, March 24, 2008
"Obama's Brain Trust Taking Shape" The New York Sun, February 21, 2008
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Gregory B. Craig
An active advisor to Obama campaign. State Department Director of Policy Planning in the Clinton Administration and now a partner at law firm Williams & Connolly.
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Richard Danzig
Key defense advisor to Obama campaign. Former Secretary of the Navy and now a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

James (Jim) Steinberg
Dean of the London B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and former Deputy National Security Advisor. Although he is based outside of Washington, DC, in Texas, observers noted his participation in the Obama overseas trip.
Full Bio

Source:
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008

Madeleine K. Albright
Former Secretary of State and currently Chairperson of the National Democratic Institute, Principal of The Albright Group LLC and Chair and Principal of Albright Capital Management LLC
Full bio

Source:
"Clinton veterans mix with new faces on Obama's campaign," AFP, June 23, 2008
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Warren Christopher
Senior Partner at O'Melveny & Myers LLP, and U.S. Secretary of State from 1993-1997
Full bio

Source:
"Clinton veterans mix with new faces on Obama's campaign," AFP, June 23, 2008
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Sam Nunn
Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and Former U.S. Senator from Georgia
Full bio

Source:
"Clinton veterans mix with new faces on Obama's campaign," AFP, June 23, 2008
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

David Boren
President of the University of Oklahoma, Former Senator and Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Full Bio

Source:
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Eric H. Holder Jr.
Partner at Covington and Burling LLP, and former Deputy Attorney General
Full Bio

Source:
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008

William Perry
Senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Professor at Stanford University, and Former Secretary of Defense
Full Bio

Source:
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008

Tim Roemer
President of the Center for National Policy, former Congressman from Indiana and member of 9/11 Commission.
Full Bio

Source:
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008

Lee H. Hamilton
President and Director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees
Full bio

Source:
"Former Rep Hamilton to Endorse Obama" Associated Press, April 2, 2008
"Obama's National Security Working Group," The Atlantic.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama Convenes National Security Working Group," Washingtonpost.com, June 18, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

OTHER ADVISORS:

Former Ambassador Jeffrey Bader
Director, John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution, National Security Council’s director of Asian affairs, 1997-1999 and Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China, 2001-2002
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

John Brennan
President and CEO of the Analysis Corp., an intelligence contractor in McLean, Va.
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008

Dennis B. Ross
Former Director for Policy Planning at the State Department in the G.W Bush Administration and Special Middle East coordinator in the Clinton Administration. Now a Washington Institute for Near East Policy fellow. Was with Obama on his Mideast trip.

Full bio
Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"FACTBOX - Obama's advisers on Middle East policy," Reuters, March 11, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Daniel B. Shapiro
Key Middle East Advisor to Obama, Director for Legislative Affairs at the National Security Council in the Clinton Administration and now Vice President of Timmons & Company. Was with Obama on his Mideast trip.
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"Obama's Brain Trust Taking Shape" The New York Sun, February 21, 2008
"FACTBOX - Obama's advisers on Middle East policy," Reuters, March 11, 2008

Philip H. Gordon
Former National Security Council Director for European Affairs and now a Brookings senior fellow. Was with Obama on his Europe trip.
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Maj. Gen. J. (Jonathan) Scott Gration
An important advisor to Obama on military issues. Air Force veteran and now CEO of Africa anti-poverty effort Millennium Villages. Regularly blogs on the Obama campaign site
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Obama Doctrine"The American Prospect, March 24, 2008
"Obama's Brain Trust Taking Shape" The New York Sun, February 21, 2008
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Mark Lippert
Obama Senate office staff member.

Source:
"From the Campaign to the Battlefront," The Wall Street Journal, September 22, 2007
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Ben Rhodes
Obama's national security speechwriter, and Special Assistant to President Lee H. Hamilton at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Full bio

Source:
"The Obama Doctrine"The American Prospect, March 24, 2008
"Obama's Brain Trust Taking Shape" The New York Sun, February 21, 2008
"FACTBOX - Obama's advisers on Middle East policy," Reuters, March 11, 2008

Ivo H. Daalder
National Security Council Director for European Affairs during the Clinton Administration and now a Brookings senior fellow. Focuses on non-proliferation issues, in particular.
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Gayle Smith
Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and formerly Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council.
Full bio

Source:
"Over 70 Foreign Policy Experts Announce Endorsement of Barack Obama for President", Obama '08 campaign website, December 19, 2007
"Getting Ready for the 2008 Presidential Election," One World United States website, August 3, 2007

Bruce O. Riedel
Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Near East and North African Affairs, National Security Council, and now a Brookings senior fellow
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008


Eric Lynn
Jewish Affairs staffer for Obama, former senior legislative assistant to Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-Fla.)
Full Bio

Source:
"When Hillary's Josh Met Obama's Eric," The Jerusalem Post, March 18, 2008

Michael A. McFaul
Director of the Center on Democracy, Development, and Rule of Law (CDDRL) at Freeman Spogli Institute (FSI) for International Studies at Stanford University, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, where he co-directs the Iran Democracy Project, and author of several books on Russian politics and history
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Mark Brzezinski
Former Director of Southeast European Affairs at the National Security Council and now a partner at law firm McGuireWoods
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008

Zbigniew Brzezinski
President Carter’s National Security Adviser and now a Center for Strategic and International Studies counselor and trustee.
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"Obama's Brain Trust Taking Shape" The New York Sun, February 21, 2008

Joseph Cirincione
Senior Vice President for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, previously Director for Non-Proliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Full bio

Source:
"Behind Obama and Clinton," Foreign Policy in Focus Commentary, February 4, 2008

Richard A. Clarke
President Clinton and President George W. Bush’s Chief Counterterrorism Advisor at the National Security Council, now Chairman of Good Harbor Consulting and an ABC News contributor
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008

Gen. Wesley K. Clark
Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO, 1997-2000, and currently a Democratic fundraiser
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008
"General Clark Says McCain Oversold Navy Experience," Bloomberg.com, June 29, 2008

Lawrence J. Korb
Assistant Secretary of Defense from 1981-1985 and now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008

Lee Feinstein
Former National Security Director/ Coordinator for Hillary Clinton for President,
Principal Deputy Director of the State Department Policy Planning Staff in the Clinton Administration, and former Senior Advisor for Peacekeeping and Peace Enforcement Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 1994-1995
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008
“Team Obama Goes Cherry-Picking” The New York Observer, July 1, 2008

Daniel Kurtzer
Former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt (1997-2001) and Israel (2001-2005). Currently Lecturer and S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle Eastern Policy Studies at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's New Foreign Policy Adviser Daniel Kurtzer," American Thinker, April 10, 2008
"Obama, Clinton Tout Duelling Endorsements from Ex-Ambassadors to Israel," The Jewish Daily Forward, March 3, 2008

James M. Ludes
Former defense and foreign policy adviser to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and now Executive Director of the American Security Project
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007

Gen. Merrill A. ("Tony") McPeak
Former Air Force Chief of Staff and now a business consultant
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007

Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA)
Pennsylvania Congressman and Iraq war veteran
Full bio

Source:
"Why I Support Senator Obama," Obama '08 Community Blog, August 21, 2007

Leon Panetta
Director of the Panetta Institute and former Chief of Staff to President Clinton.
Full bio

Source:
“Obama Camp Begins Delicate Task Of Wooing Clinton's Supporters,” The Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2008

Jack Reed
Rhode Island Senator, serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Key Foreign Policy Advisors," The New York Times, July 18, 2008

Sarah Sewall
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance in the Clinton Administration and now Director of Harvard’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
"The Obama Doctrine"The American Prospect, March 24, 2008

Theodore Sorensen
Former Speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy
Full bio

Source:
"The Democratic Foreign Policy Wars"The Nation, January 3, 2008

Mona Sutphen
Former aide to President Clinton’s National Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger and to United Nations Ambassador Bill Richardson and now Managing Director, New York office of Stonebridge International, a business consultancy
Full bio

Source:
"The War Over the Wonks," Washington Post, October 2, 2007

Robert Wexler
Democratic Congressman from Florida, Senior Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Europe
Full bio

Source:
"FACTBOX - Obama's advisers on Middle East policy," Reuters, March 11, 2008

Mara Rudman
Informal advisor to the campaign, formerly supporter of Hillary Clinton. Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and former Deputy National Security Advisor

Full bio

Source:

“Team Obama Goes Cherry-Picking” The New York Observer, July 1, 2008

Robert Einhorn
Senior adviser in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies , and former assistant secretary for nonproliferation at the State Department
Full bio

Source:
“Team Obama Goes Cherry-Picking” The New York Observer, July 1, 2008

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ADVISORS

Jason Grumet
Official head of Environment and Energy Policy Committee for Obama '08, and President of the Bipartisan Policy Center
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008


Howard Learner
Top environmental advisor, and Executive Director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008

Frank Loy
On the boards of several national green groups. Was Under-Secretary of State for Global Affairs from 1998 to January 2001, held State Department posts during the Clinton, Carter, and Johnson administrations, and spent 14 years as president of the German Marshall Fund.
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008

Daniel Esty
Environmental law professor at Yale, at Environmental Protection Agency during the George H.W. Bush Administration
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008

Daniel Kammen
Energy and public policy professor at the University of California (Berkeley)
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008

Robert Sussman
Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, spent 10 years practicing environmental law at Latham & Watkins, and was at EPA during the Clinton Administration.
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008


FOREIGN ECONOMIC POLICY ADVISORS

Jason Furman
Furman is characterized as Obama’s top economic advisor. Though his focus is not international issues, we have included him on this list given the importance of his role. He is former Director of the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution, and former Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy in the Clinton Administration
Full Bio

Source:
"Obama's selection of Jason Furman as economic adviser is criticized" at Los Angeles Times, June 10, 2008

Austan Goolsbee
Economic Advisor
Currently at the University of Chicago
Full bio

Source:
"Candidate's Economic Adviser's Take Center Stage" at Kiplinger Business Resource Center, March 5, 2008
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008

Stuart Eizenstat
Partner, Covington and Burling LLP, chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Carter; U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration (1993-2001).
Full bio

Source:
"Former Diplomats Offer Candidates Advice" USA Today
“Team Obama Goes Cherry-Picking” The New York Observer, July 1, 2008

Gene Sperling
Economic Advisor
Currently at the Center for American Progress
Full bio

Source:
"Candidate's Economic Adviser's Take Center Stage" at Kiplinger Business Resource Center, March 5, 2008
“Team Obama Goes Cherry-Picking” The New York Observer, July 1, 2008


William M. Daley
Currently head of Corporate Responsibility at JP Morgan Chase and Co.
Former Secretary of Commerce and chairman of President Clinton's NAFTA Task Force
Bio

Source:
"Obama's Brain Trust" at Newsweek, June 3, 2008

Michael Froman
Informal adviser
Managing Director and Head of Infrastructure and Sustainable Development at Citi Alternative Investments, and former former chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin
Full bio

Source:
"Candidate's Economic Adviser's Take Center Stage" at Kiplinger Business Resource Center, March 5, 2008

David Lipton
Managing Director and Head of Global Country Risk Management, Citigroup, former Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs at the Treasury Department from 1993 to 1998..
Full bio

Source:
"Candidate's Economic Adviser's Take Center Stage" at Kiplinger Business Resource Center, March 5, 2008

Daniel Tarullo
Professor of Law, Georgetown University and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
Full bio

Source:
"Obama's Inner Circle" the National Journal, March 31, 2008

Paul Volcker
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The Group of Thirty, Professor of International Economic Policy, Emeritus, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University; former Federal Reserve Chairman
Full bio

Source:
"Volcker: I Endorse Obama" The Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2008