Jill Hazelbaker
Encyclopedia
Jill Hazelbaker is a communications executive, political campaign
spokesperson and campaign staff member primarily for candidates of the Republican Party in the United States. She is currently the head of corporate communications at Google
.
Hazelbaker was the national communications director for John McCain
's presidential campaign. A MSNBC
online piece listed her as one of eight in McCain's "candidate brain trust," their shortlist of the candidate's closest advisers.
Hazelbaker's name earlier came to public attention in connection with an accusation of astroturfing
at the time she was the press secretary
for Tom Kean Jr.'s 2006 campaign for the US Senate in New Jersey
. Hazelbaker denied involvement in those activities.
, Oregon
, Hazelbaker attended the University of Oregon
in Eugene
, studying Political Science while she worked for the school newspaper the Oregon Daily Emerald
.
While a student, Hazelbaker did a congressional internship in Washington, D.C.
for Rep. Greg Walden
, an Oregon Republican.
In 2002, she worked on Sen. Gordon Smith's 2002 re-election campaign. In 2004, she worked to help Republican Jim Zupancic in his uphill and ultimately unsuccessful campaign against U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley. That led to a short stint at the New York
-based consulting firm, Mercury Consulting, according to a recent article in The Oregonian
.
of Republican Thomas Kean Jr.
, who was ultimately defeated after a hard-fought campaign against the incumbent, Democrat Robert Menendez
. Charges against Menendez of past corruption formed a centerpiece of the Kean campaign.
New Jersey graduate student Juan Melli, founder of a weblog and online forum called Blue Jersey, noticed that between July and September one IP address
had registered four different accounts, each one claiming to be a Democrat but posting multiple anti-Menendez comments using pseudonyms like usedtobeblue and cleanupnj. The same IP address was also used for multiple Wikipedia edits attacking Menendez. This IP address had also been used to send emails signed by Hazelbaker to other correspondents, according to the New York Times.
Hazelbaker and Kean both denied that she had played any role in astroturfing
, although neither denied that the activity originated from a Kean campaign computer. Hazelbaker told a New Yorker
reporter, "It's nonsense.... We have hundreds of volunteers coming through here. It could’ve been anyone. Or someone could just sit on our front porch and use our wireless connection and our I.P. address."
The Kean campaign also drew scrutiny over its relationship with opposition researcher
Christopher Lyon
. Kean staffers denied that Lyon worked for Kean directly. A New York Times article about Lyon's role includes Hazelbaker's response to the issue:
The Oregonian
quoted Hazelbaker's reflecting on the Senate campaign, "People are not afraid to personally attack you if they think it is in the interests of their candidate," she says. "You have to keep a smile on your face and keep your head down and keep working.... I loved it, but you have to learn to take your lumps."
. Following a shakeup on the McCain campaign in the summer of 2007, most of McCain's media team resigned. Hazelbaker was then promoted to national communications director, to be based out of Washington, D.C.
Press stories in late 2007 and early 2008 quote Hazelbaker discussing aspects of the McCain campaign including fundraising, poll results, and countering a potentially lethal New York Times story. Such stories describe her job giving varied titles, such as "the campaign's national spokeswoman", "press secretary for the McCain campaign", and " McCain Communications Director."
Hazelbaker has been profiled in Glamour Magazine
, calling her "McCain's Press Pro." In February 2008 she was cited in the AP
as one of the "5 People Who Run McCain's Campaign." The Independent
profiled her in the piece on "The people who sell presidents." More recently, Hazelbaker was featured as part of McCain's senior staff in GQ Magazines photographic profile on the 2008 election, entitled "Who It Takes."
A recent article in The Oregonian
quotes Greg Strimple, "a prominent GOP consultant who works with the McCain campaign," praising Hazelbaker together with John McCain adviser Steve Schmidt
, for "bring[ing] message discipline to the [McCain campaign] operation." Hazelbaker "has an ear for campaigns," Strimple says. "She understands the music."
On August 10, 2008, the New York Times described McCain's campaign as "divided" in the wake of a disagreement with Hazelbaker over her criticism of Barack Obama
's overseas trip in July. Hazelbaker denounced Obama's trip as a "campaign rally overseas," but McCain corrected her remarks, saying that he was glad Obama had visited Iraq and Afghanistan, and saw political overtones only in his visits to other countries.
According to the Wall Street Journal, however, "When McCain's campaign plane landed in Michigan that day, however, the candidate talked to reporters to clarify his original remarks. The Iraq and Afghanistan portion of the trip, he said, was not political but the subsequent swing through Europe was. 'If he has political rallies in other places, obviously then it's a political trip. But I was speaking specifically about Iraq and Afghanistan and I believe that… this will not be a place for political rallies or politicization but the rest of the trip, then we'll see what happens,' McCain said."
Asked to clarify whether he believed the European visit was simply a photo opportunity, he said: "Apparently it's going to be. If he's going to have rally in Germany at the Brandenburg Gate, which is what is being publicly stated. Of course, if you have political rallies, then it's a political event."
An Oregonian article profiling Hazelbaker and her campaign colleague Tucker Bounds
describes how both are "in McCain's Arlington, Va., headquarters before the regular 7:15 a.m. strategy meeting held by top aides. It's not unusual for them to be there until 10 or 11 at night -- and they're often still fielding calls after they've gone home." The article quotes Hazelbaker on her busy schedule, "You have to try to keep your cool and keep a smile and have fun as much as you can. These are incredibly serious and difficult jobs. You are trying to elect someone to the presidency."
Hazelbaker appeared on national cable and network news programs, such as CBS
' The Early Show
, where she commented on John McCain
's pick of Sarah Palin
as his running mate:
's campaign had hired Hazelbaker.
In a statement released by Bloomberg's camp, Senator McCain said Hazelbaker "brings a skill set that is valuable to any campaign" and called the mayor "fortunate to have her on board... I wish him and the campaign all the best."
On the Bloomberg team, Hazelbaker was working under Howard Wolfson
, the former communications director for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, of whom Hazelbaker said "Howard is someone I've admired for a long time...He's very smart and savvy...It's a very special opportunity that doesn't come along very often to be able to work with someone from the other side of the aisle."
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
spokesperson and campaign staff member primarily for candidates of the Republican Party in the United States. She is currently the head of corporate communications at Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
.
Hazelbaker was the national communications director for John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's presidential campaign. A MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
online piece listed her as one of eight in McCain's "candidate brain trust," their shortlist of the candidate's closest advisers.
Hazelbaker's name earlier came to public attention in connection with an accusation of astroturfing
Astroturfing
Astroturfing is a form of advocacy in support of a political, organizational, or corporate agenda, designed to give the appearance of a "grassroots" movement. The goal of such campaigns is to disguise the efforts of a political and/or commercial entity as an independent public reaction to some...
at the time she was the press secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
for Tom Kean Jr.'s 2006 campaign for the US Senate in New Jersey
New Jersey United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Bob Menendez will represent New Jersey in the United States Senate for a six-year term ending January 2013. The seat was previously held by Democratic Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine...
. Hazelbaker denied involvement in those activities.
Early life and career
A native of SalemSalem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Hazelbaker attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, studying Political Science while she worked for the school newspaper the Oregon Daily Emerald
Oregon Daily Emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald is an independent daily newspaper published at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The paper, which has been published for more than 100 years, has trained many now-prominent writers and journalists and has made important contributions to journalism...
.
While a student, Hazelbaker did a congressional internship in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for Rep. Greg Walden
Greg Walden
Gregory Paul Walden is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district covers more than two-thirds of the state . He is the son of Paul E...
, an Oregon Republican.
In 2002, she worked on Sen. Gordon Smith's 2002 re-election campaign. In 2004, she worked to help Republican Jim Zupancic in his uphill and ultimately unsuccessful campaign against U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley. That led to a short stint at the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based consulting firm, Mercury Consulting, according to a recent article in The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
.
2006 U.S. Senate campaign in New Jersey
Hazelbaker served as a campaign spokeswoman for the 2006 US Senate campaignNew Jersey United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Bob Menendez will represent New Jersey in the United States Senate for a six-year term ending January 2013. The seat was previously held by Democratic Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine...
of Republican Thomas Kean Jr.
Thomas Kean Jr.
Thomas Howard "Tom" Kean Jr. is an American Republican politician, serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 2003. He represents the 21st Legislative District, which covers parts of Union, Morris, Somerset and Essex Counties...
, who was ultimately defeated after a hard-fought campaign against the incumbent, Democrat Robert Menendez
Robert Menendez
Robert "Bob" Menendez is the junior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. In January 2006, he was appointed to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jon Corzine, who resigned upon being elected Governor of New Jersey. Menendez was elected to his own full...
. Charges against Menendez of past corruption formed a centerpiece of the Kean campaign.
New Jersey graduate student Juan Melli, founder of a weblog and online forum called Blue Jersey, noticed that between July and September one IP address
IP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
had registered four different accounts, each one claiming to be a Democrat but posting multiple anti-Menendez comments using pseudonyms like usedtobeblue and cleanupnj. The same IP address was also used for multiple Wikipedia edits attacking Menendez. This IP address had also been used to send emails signed by Hazelbaker to other correspondents, according to the New York Times.
Hazelbaker and Kean both denied that she had played any role in astroturfing
Astroturfing
Astroturfing is a form of advocacy in support of a political, organizational, or corporate agenda, designed to give the appearance of a "grassroots" movement. The goal of such campaigns is to disguise the efforts of a political and/or commercial entity as an independent public reaction to some...
, although neither denied that the activity originated from a Kean campaign computer. Hazelbaker told a New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
reporter, "It's nonsense.... We have hundreds of volunteers coming through here. It could’ve been anyone. Or someone could just sit on our front porch and use our wireless connection and our I.P. address."
The Kean campaign also drew scrutiny over its relationship with opposition researcher
Opposition researcher
Opposition researchers are paid political consultants who research potentially damaging information about their employer's opponent. ....
Christopher Lyon
Christopher Lyon
Christopher Lyon is an opposition researcher who has worked for Republican party candidates in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and on the national level....
. Kean staffers denied that Lyon worked for Kean directly. A New York Times article about Lyon's role includes Hazelbaker's response to the issue:
"I think the selective outrage here is a little laughable," said Hazelbaker, a Kean spokeswoman, who added that Mr. Menendez's former law partner, who was at his side when he was sworn in as a senator, had been convicted of dealing cocaine.
The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
quoted Hazelbaker's reflecting on the Senate campaign, "People are not afraid to personally attack you if they think it is in the interests of their candidate," she says. "You have to keep a smile on your face and keep your head down and keep working.... I loved it, but you have to learn to take your lumps."
John McCain Communications Director
On December 21, 2006, Hazelbaker was hired to serve as New Hampshire communications director on the staff of John McCainJohn McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. Following a shakeup on the McCain campaign in the summer of 2007, most of McCain's media team resigned. Hazelbaker was then promoted to national communications director, to be based out of Washington, D.C.
Press stories in late 2007 and early 2008 quote Hazelbaker discussing aspects of the McCain campaign including fundraising, poll results, and countering a potentially lethal New York Times story. Such stories describe her job giving varied titles, such as "the campaign's national spokeswoman", "press secretary for the McCain campaign", and " McCain Communications Director."
Hazelbaker has been profiled in Glamour Magazine
Glamour magazine
Glamour magazine means:* Glamour magazine, a U.S. publication aimed at a predominantly female readership* a girlie magazine aimed at a male readership featuring photographs of women...
, calling her "McCain's Press Pro." In February 2008 she was cited in the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
as one of the "5 People Who Run McCain's Campaign." The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
profiled her in the piece on "The people who sell presidents." More recently, Hazelbaker was featured as part of McCain's senior staff in GQ Magazines photographic profile on the 2008 election, entitled "Who It Takes."
A recent article in The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
quotes Greg Strimple, "a prominent GOP consultant who works with the McCain campaign," praising Hazelbaker together with John McCain adviser Steve Schmidt
Steve Schmidt
Steve Schmidt is an American campaign strategist and public relations worker for the U.S. Republican Party. He specializes in political "message development and strategy"...
, for "bring[ing] message discipline to the [McCain campaign] operation." Hazelbaker "has an ear for campaigns," Strimple says. "She understands the music."
On August 10, 2008, the New York Times described McCain's campaign as "divided" in the wake of a disagreement with Hazelbaker over her criticism of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's overseas trip in July. Hazelbaker denounced Obama's trip as a "campaign rally overseas," but McCain corrected her remarks, saying that he was glad Obama had visited Iraq and Afghanistan, and saw political overtones only in his visits to other countries.
According to the Wall Street Journal, however, "When McCain's campaign plane landed in Michigan that day, however, the candidate talked to reporters to clarify his original remarks. The Iraq and Afghanistan portion of the trip, he said, was not political but the subsequent swing through Europe was. 'If he has political rallies in other places, obviously then it's a political trip. But I was speaking specifically about Iraq and Afghanistan and I believe that… this will not be a place for political rallies or politicization but the rest of the trip, then we'll see what happens,' McCain said."
Asked to clarify whether he believed the European visit was simply a photo opportunity, he said: "Apparently it's going to be. If he's going to have rally in Germany at the Brandenburg Gate, which is what is being publicly stated. Of course, if you have political rallies, then it's a political event."
An Oregonian article profiling Hazelbaker and her campaign colleague Tucker Bounds
Tucker Bounds
Tucker Bounds is a public relations professional, who has been active in Republican politics. He served as a spokesperson for the McCain-Palin 2008 presidential campaign...
describes how both are "in McCain's Arlington, Va., headquarters before the regular 7:15 a.m. strategy meeting held by top aides. It's not unusual for them to be there until 10 or 11 at night -- and they're often still fielding calls after they've gone home." The article quotes Hazelbaker on her busy schedule, "You have to try to keep your cool and keep a smile and have fun as much as you can. These are incredibly serious and difficult jobs. You are trying to elect someone to the presidency."
Hazelbaker appeared on national cable and network news programs, such as CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
, where she commented on John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's pick of Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
as his running mate:
"John McCain is going to make the choice from his heart. He's going to choose someone who can be a partner in governing. He's going to choose someone who brings character and principle to the table and who shares his priorities. And I'm confident that he's going to make a great pick," Hazelbaker said.
Michael Bloomberg Campaign
On February 17, 2009 it was widely reported that Michael BloombergMichael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
's campaign had hired Hazelbaker.
In a statement released by Bloomberg's camp, Senator McCain said Hazelbaker "brings a skill set that is valuable to any campaign" and called the mayor "fortunate to have her on board... I wish him and the campaign all the best."
On the Bloomberg team, Hazelbaker was working under Howard Wolfson
Howard Wolfson
Howard Wolfson is counselor to the Mayor of New York City and a Democratic political strategist. He replaced Kevin Sheekey as Deputy Mayor of New York City for governmental affairs....
, the former communications director for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, of whom Hazelbaker said "Howard is someone I've admired for a long time...He's very smart and savvy...It's a very special opportunity that doesn't come along very often to be able to work with someone from the other side of the aisle."