Politics

Yohannes Abraham Age: 23 Hometown: Springfield, Va. Campaign Positions: Field Organizer, Regional Political Director, Field Director—Virginia Campaign Turf: Iowa, South Carolina, Ohio, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia New Washington Gig: Assistant to the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Days after graduating from Yale University in 2007, Yohannes Abraham decamped to Iowa, where he would spend the…

Samantha Tubman Age: 29 Hometown: Washington, D.C. Campaign Positions: Press Wrangler, Obama advance team Campaign Turf: Every state but Alaska and Arkansas New Washington Gig: Assistant Social Secretary Samantha Tubman viewed the 2008 campaign from an unexpected perch—at 30,000 feet. Traveling on the campaign plane with Obama, herding the press in almost every state in…

Addisu Demissie Age: 28 Hometown: Atlanta, Ga. Campaign Positions: Deputy Field Director, State Director (Hillary for President); Get Out the Vote Director—Ohio (Obama For America) Campaign Turf: Iowa, Nevada, Connecticut, Indiana (Hillary for President) Ohio (Obama for America) New Washington Gig: National Political Director at Organizing for America Addisu Demissie has a thing for playing…

Michael Blake Age: 26 Hometown: The Bronx, N.Y. Campaign Positions: Deputy Political Director, Constituency Outreach Director Campaign Turf: Iowa, South Carolina, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan New Washington Gig: Deputy Associate Director for Intergovernmental Affairs; Office of Public Liaison Mike Blake is the kind of guy who, no matter what the emergency, speaks slowly…

Elizabeth Wilkins Age: 25 Hometown: Washington, D.C. Campaign Positions: Field Organizer, Field Director—Michigan Campaign Turf: Chicago, South Carolina, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan New Washington Gig: Policy assistant, Domestic Policy Council Elizabeth Wilkins’ yearning for government service is probably genetic. Roy Wilkins, the 1960s head of the NAACP, is her great-uncle, and her father Roger, now…

Joshua DuBois Age: 26 Hometown: Nashville, Tenn. Campaign Position: Director of Religious Affairs Campaign Turf: Chicago New Washington Gig: Executive Director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Throughout campaign 2008, detractors accused Obama of harboring a messiah complex. If Hollywood ever adapts the jeers into a feature film, Josh DuBois would play John…

Read the washingtonpost.com Live Online discussion on WASHINGTON’s NEW BLACK PACK with The Root’s Dayo Olopade. ***** Barack Obama’s historic presidential victory has marked a significant expansion of responsibilities and visibility for people of color working in politics. From the Justice Department to the United Nations to the new Office of Urban Policy, Obama has empowered…

Alex Lofton Age: 24 Hometown: Seattle, Wa. Campaign Positions: Border State Director, Regional Field Director, Field Director—Georgia Campaign Turf: South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio New Washington Gig: Southeast Regional Director, Organizing for America Long after the confetti had been cleared from election-night parties, Alex Lofton was still at work. Or “redeployed,” as he likes…

PHOTO GALLERY: The Tonight Show with… President Obama? READ Why Obama’s Special Olympics joke was a wrong move by David Swerdlick.   READ Jimi Izrael’s take. INTERVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT BY JAY LENO, “TONIGHT SHOW” Burbank, California Q The 44th President of the United States, please welcome President Barack Obama. (Applause.) THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.)…

JAY LENO The 44th President of the United States, please welcome President Barack Obama. (Applause.) PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) MR. LENO. Good to see you. MR. OBAMA: It is good to see you and –- (applause.) Thank you. Let me just say, I think Kevin looks good in a suit. (Laughter.) MR. LENO. Thank…