Jim Wilkinson (U.S. politician)
Encyclopedia
James Richard Wilkinson is a former U.S. government employee who works in the field of public relations
(PR). Wilkinson, a Republican
, began his government career under former Texas congressman Dick Armey
. Before joining the George W. Bush administration, Wilkinson helped sell the idea that Al Gore
claimed to have "invented the internet".
While part of the Bush administration, he worked to help convince the U.S. public to support the Iraq War, was involved in the handling of the Jessica Lynch
story, and bolstered Condoleezza Rice
's image. Overall, Wilkinson was a "well-traveled utility man for the Bush administration's PR team". In 2011 he was portrayed in the HBO film Too Big to Fail
by actor Topher Grace
.
, and initially planned to be an undertaker
. Wilkinson received his BBA
in finance from UT Arlington
in 1993 and his M.S.
in government from Johns Hopkins University
. He started working for Republican Congressman Dick Armey
in 1992—staying until 2000—and worked as the spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee
.
In 1999, during the G.W. Bush campaign for President, he helped sell the idea that Al Gore claimed to have "invented the Internet". In 2000, he traveled to Florida to support Republican activists during the recount. Wilkinson joined the Bush Administration and worked as "White House deputy director of communications and spokesman for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's transition team". Wilkinson helped direct Bush's September 14, 2001 media event at ground zero
, handing Bush the bullhorn he used to say, "I hear you, and soon the world will hear you" to the workers.
Wilkinson served as an officer in the United States Navy
Reserves. His mentors have included former R.N.C. chairman Ed Gillespie
and former G.W. Bush adviser Karen Hughes
. As Karl Rove's choice, Wilkinson left the Bush Administration to work as the communications director for the 2004 Republican National Convention
before returning to the White House under Rice.
Wilkinson likes to stay behind the scenes. When asked personal questions by The New York Observer Wilkinson declined answering, saying "Staff should be seen and not heard. And biographical pieces amount to nothing more than climbing out on the seat of a dunking booth and handing out baseballs all over town." Wilkinson, who has run marathon
s, has been described as hyperactive and media-savvy.
As of 2010, Wilkinson was working as Managing Partner of Brunswick Group LLP, a public relations
firm.
. He highlighted efforts to improve living conditions for Afghan women. In public relations preparations for 2003 invasion of Iraq
, Wilkinson was part of the White House Iraq Group
under Karl Rove
and Scooter Libby. The goal of the group was to "get the country on the page that the White House wanted everybody to believe: that Iraq, with its weapons of mass destruction, was an imminent threat to the United States".
For the Iraq war, Wilkinson was the chief spokesman for Gen. Tommy Franks
under CENTCOM
in Doha
. Many reporters were unhappy in Doha, and the atmosphere was tense; Ben Smith of The New York Observer mentioned three theories on the source of the tension: that stationed reporters were jealous of their embedded colleagues, that Wilkinson helped execute an operation that controlled the information well, or that Wilkinson was inept. Ron Suskind
, writing in The Washington Post
, called Wilkinson the "spinmeister for the Iraq war". When Wilkinson faced questions from reporters he found lacking in support for the Iraq War, he would rebuke them.
, Wilkinson is described as a "master propagandist". The book states that Wilkinson concocted details regarding the Jessica Lynch
story and "arranged to give the Washington Post exclusive access to classified intelligence that was the basis for the now-discredited 'She Was Fighting to the Death' story that ran on the front page of the newspaper" on April 3, 2003. When interviewed by the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Wilkinson said that he did not know the identity of the "U.S. officials" cited in the April 3 story. Wilkinson could not explain why erroneous news reports emerged about Private Lynch’s capture and rescue.
The congressional report, titled Misleading Information from the Battlefield: The Tillman
and Lynch Episodes states that, "As the Committee investigated the Tillman and Lynch cases, it encountered a striking lack of recollection. In Private Lynch’s case, Jim Wilkinson...told the Committee he did not know where the false information originated or who disseminated it."
During media coverage of Lynch, Wilkinson said the memorable quote, "America does not leave its heroes behind". Tommy Franks, in his book American Soldier, writes that Wilkinson was too eager to pass along the night-vision video of Lynch to the media.
. In an op-ed titled "Smear Without Fear", Paul Krugman
of The New York Times
attributed to Wilkinson a smear
on Richard Clarke
broadcast on CNN
, writing that,
As a senior aide to then Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice
, Wilkinson was credited with an image-making strategy that elevated Rice to "rock star status". Wilkinson employed specific strategies to counter notions Rice was cold and did not care about diplomacy. While Chief of Staff in the U.S. Treasury department, Wilkinson worked under Hank Paulson. A Wilkinson September 2008 email regarding the government's approach to Lehman Brothers
appeared in a 2010 Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
document. Wilkinson emailed "can’t stomach us bailing out lehman. Will be horrible in the press." Wilkinson declined to comment on his emails.
by actor Topher Grace
.
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
(PR). Wilkinson, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, began his government career under former Texas congressman Dick Armey
Dick Armey
Richard Keith "Dick" Armey is a former U.S. Representative from Texas's and House Majority Leader . He was one of the engineers of the "Republican Revolution" of the 1990s, in which Republicans were elected to majorities of both houses of Congress for the first time in four decades. Armey was...
. Before joining the George W. Bush administration, Wilkinson helped sell the idea that Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
claimed to have "invented the internet".
While part of the Bush administration, he worked to help convince the U.S. public to support the Iraq War, was involved in the handling of the Jessica Lynch
Jessica Lynch
Jessica Dawn Lynch is a former Private First Class in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps. Lynch served in Iraq during the 2003 invasion by U.S. and allied forces. On March 23, 2003 she was injured and captured by Iraqi forces but was recovered on April 1 by U.S...
story, and bolstered Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
's image. Overall, Wilkinson was a "well-traveled utility man for the Bush administration's PR team". In 2011 he was portrayed in the HBO film Too Big to Fail
Too Big to Fail
Too Big to Fail is a television drama film in the United States broadcast on HBO on May 23, 2011. It is based on the non-fiction book Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin. The TV film was directed by Curtis Hanson...
by actor Topher Grace
Topher Grace
Christopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
.
Education and career
Wilkinson grew up in East Texas, went to high school in the small town of TenahaTenaha, Texas
Tenaha is a town in Shelby County, Texas, United States- established February 2, 1886. The population was 1,046 at the 2000 census. The town's name is taken from the Caddo language for "Muddy Water". Tenaha is a town in Shelby County, Texas, United States- established February 2, 1886. The...
, and initially planned to be an undertaker
Funeral director
A funeral director , also known as a mortician or undertaker, is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony...
. Wilkinson received his BBA
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
in finance from UT Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
in 1993 and his M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in government from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. He started working for Republican Congressman Dick Armey
Dick Armey
Richard Keith "Dick" Armey is a former U.S. Representative from Texas's and House Majority Leader . He was one of the engineers of the "Republican Revolution" of the 1990s, in which Republicans were elected to majorities of both houses of Congress for the first time in four decades. Armey was...
in 1992—staying until 2000—and worked as the spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
.
In 1999, during the G.W. Bush campaign for President, he helped sell the idea that Al Gore claimed to have "invented the Internet". In 2000, he traveled to Florida to support Republican activists during the recount. Wilkinson joined the Bush Administration and worked as "White House deputy director of communications and spokesman for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's transition team". Wilkinson helped direct Bush's September 14, 2001 media event at ground zero
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
, handing Bush the bullhorn he used to say, "I hear you, and soon the world will hear you" to the workers.
Wilkinson served as an officer in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Reserves. His mentors have included former R.N.C. chairman Ed Gillespie
Ed Gillespie
Edward W. Gillespie is an American Republican political strategist and former Counselor to the President in the George W. Bush White House. Gillespie, along with Jack Quinn, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Al Gore, founded Quinn Gillespie & Associates, a bipartisan lobbying firm...
and former G.W. Bush adviser Karen Hughes
Karen Hughes
Karen Parfitt Hughes is the Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller. She served as the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the U.S. Department of State with the rank of ambassador. She resides in Austin, Texas.-Early life:Born in Paris, France, she is the daughter...
. As Karl Rove's choice, Wilkinson left the Bush Administration to work as the communications director for the 2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
before returning to the White House under Rice.
Wilkinson likes to stay behind the scenes. When asked personal questions by The New York Observer Wilkinson declined answering, saying "Staff should be seen and not heard. And biographical pieces amount to nothing more than climbing out on the seat of a dunking booth and handing out baseballs all over town." Wilkinson, who has run marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
s, has been described as hyperactive and media-savvy.
As of 2010, Wilkinson was working as Managing Partner of Brunswick Group LLP, a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
firm.
Afghanistan, Iraq, and CENTCOM
Wilkinson was head of the "war room", or Coalition Information Center for the Afghanistan WarWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. He highlighted efforts to improve living conditions for Afghan women. In public relations preparations for 2003 invasion of Iraq
Public relations preparations for 2003 invasion of Iraq
The Rendon Group, a Washington, DC based public relations firm with close ties to the US government, and which has had a prominent role in promoting the Iraqi National Congress, was alleged by some journalists to be planning to support the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a careful public relations...
, Wilkinson was part of the White House Iraq Group
White House Iraq Group
The White House Iraq Group was the marketing arm of the White House whose purpose was to sell the 2003 invasion of Iraq to the public....
under Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
and Scooter Libby. The goal of the group was to "get the country on the page that the White House wanted everybody to believe: that Iraq, with its weapons of mass destruction, was an imminent threat to the United States".
For the Iraq war, Wilkinson was the chief spokesman for Gen. Tommy Franks
Tommy Franks
Tommy Ray Franks is a retired general in the United States Army. His last Army post was as the Commander of the United States Central Command, overseeing United States Armed Forces operations in a 25-country region, including the Middle East...
under CENTCOM
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
. Many reporters were unhappy in Doha, and the atmosphere was tense; Ben Smith of The New York Observer mentioned three theories on the source of the tension: that stationed reporters were jealous of their embedded colleagues, that Wilkinson helped execute an operation that controlled the information well, or that Wilkinson was inept. Ron Suskind
Ron Suskind
Ron Suskind is a Pulitzer Prize winning American journalist and best-selling author. He was the senior national affairs writer for The Wall Street Journal from 1993 to 2000 and has published the books A Hope in the Unseen, The Price of Loyalty, The One Percent Doctrine, The Way of the World and...
, writing in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, called Wilkinson the "spinmeister for the Iraq war". When Wilkinson faced questions from reporters he found lacking in support for the Iraq War, he would rebuke them.
Jessica Lynch
In the book Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat TillmanWhere Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, a 2009 book written by Jon Krakauer, is a biography of Pat Tillman, an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army after the September 11 attacks...
, Wilkinson is described as a "master propagandist". The book states that Wilkinson concocted details regarding the Jessica Lynch
Jessica Lynch
Jessica Dawn Lynch is a former Private First Class in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps. Lynch served in Iraq during the 2003 invasion by U.S. and allied forces. On March 23, 2003 she was injured and captured by Iraqi forces but was recovered on April 1 by U.S...
story and "arranged to give the Washington Post exclusive access to classified intelligence that was the basis for the now-discredited 'She Was Fighting to the Death' story that ran on the front page of the newspaper" on April 3, 2003. When interviewed by the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Wilkinson said that he did not know the identity of the "U.S. officials" cited in the April 3 story. Wilkinson could not explain why erroneous news reports emerged about Private Lynch’s capture and rescue.
The congressional report, titled Misleading Information from the Battlefield: The Tillman
Pat Tillman
Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
and Lynch Episodes states that, "As the Committee investigated the Tillman and Lynch cases, it encountered a striking lack of recollection. In Private Lynch’s case, Jim Wilkinson...told the Committee he did not know where the false information originated or who disseminated it."
During media coverage of Lynch, Wilkinson said the memorable quote, "America does not leave its heroes behind". Tommy Franks, in his book American Soldier, writes that Wilkinson was too eager to pass along the night-vision video of Lynch to the media.
NSC, Richard Clarke, Condoleezza Rice, and Treasury
Wilkinson was the spokesman for the United States National Security CouncilUnited States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
. In an op-ed titled "Smear Without Fear", Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman
Paul Robin Krugman is an American economist, professor of Economics and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, Centenary Professor at the London School of Economics, and an op-ed columnist for The New York Times...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
attributed to Wilkinson a smear
Smear campaign
A smear campaign, smear tactic or simply smear is a metaphor for activity that can harm an individual or group's reputation by conflation with a stigmatized group...
on Richard Clarke
Richard A. Clarke
Richard Alan Clarke was a U.S. government employee for 30 years, 1973–2003. He worked for the State Department during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush appointed him to chair the Counter-terrorism Security Group and to a seat on the United States National...
broadcast on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, writing that,
As a senior aide to then Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, Wilkinson was credited with an image-making strategy that elevated Rice to "rock star status". Wilkinson employed specific strategies to counter notions Rice was cold and did not care about diplomacy. While Chief of Staff in the U.S. Treasury department, Wilkinson worked under Hank Paulson. A Wilkinson September 2008 email regarding the government's approach to Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm. Before declaring bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth largest investment bank in the USA , doing business in investment banking, equity and fixed-income sales and trading Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (former NYSE ticker...
appeared in a 2010 Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
The Commission reported its findings in January 2011. It concluded that "the crisis was avoidable and was caused by: Widespread failures in financial regulation, including the Federal Reserve’s failure to stem the...
document. Wilkinson emailed "can’t stomach us bailing out lehman. Will be horrible in the press." Wilkinson declined to comment on his emails.
In other media
Wilkinson was portrayed in the May 23, 2011 HBO film Too Big to FailToo Big to Fail
Too Big to Fail is a television drama film in the United States broadcast on HBO on May 23, 2011. It is based on the non-fiction book Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin. The TV film was directed by Curtis Hanson...
by actor Topher Grace
Topher Grace
Christopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
.
External links
- Biography at Brunswick Group LLP website
- The truth about Jessica Her Iraqi guards had long fled, she was being well cared for, and doctors had already tried to free her – John Kampfner discovers the real story behind a modern American war myth. The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Thursday May 15, 2003.