Melody Barnes Named to Lead the Domestic Policy Council in the New Obama Administration
“Out of the Spotlight” Postings for November 24th
Singing Melody۪s Praises Melody Barnes was named today to lead the Domestic Policy Council in the new Obama Administration. She has been involved in the campaign since June as a senior domestic policy advisor and is currently co-chair of the Agency Working Groups on the transition. She was formerly the Executive Vice Presidentfor Policy at Center for American Progress and also had a long stint as former Chief Counsel for Senator Ted Kennedy. She is a smart choice — someone who is steeped in policy but also gets the need to communicate issues in the right way to move domestic policy. She will be tasked with helping Senator Daschle on health care reform and has a particular passion for education issues. She also has a history of working on civil rights and women’s issues, so we can expect that theDPC will be thinking about these key topics as well in the months ahead.
In 2007 she penned an op-ed about what a progressive president would do where she speaks eloquently about the needs of low income families. She’s also been on the boards of Emily’s List, the Moriah Fund, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund. And, of special interest to OOTS, Melody was part of the CAP team that developed the “Half in Ten” poverty reduction initiative!
She’s a native of Richmond, VA, has a law degree from Michigan and went to college at UNC Chapel Hill.
Posted by Shelley, November 24, 2008
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