Ben Rhodes (White House staffer)

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Ben Rhodes
File:Ben Rhodes, Obama staffer, Feb 2013.jpg
Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting
Assumed office
January 20, 2009
President Barack Obama
Personal details
Born 1977 (age 46–47)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Ann Norris
Alma mater Rice University
New York University

Benjamin J. "Ben" Rhodes (born 1977) is the Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications for U.S. President Barack Obama and is an Advisor on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran. His official title is "Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting."[1] Rhodes has been a foreign policy speechwriter for Obama since 2007.

Early life and education

Rhodes was born in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He is the son of an Episcopalian father from Texas and a Jewish mother from New York.[2] He attended the Collegiate School, graduating in 1996.[3][4] Rhodes then attended Rice University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 2000 with majors in English and political science. He then moved back to New York, attending New York University and graduating in 2002 with an MFA in creative writing.[5] His brother, David Rhodes, is President of CBS News.[6]

Early political career

In the summer of 1997, Rhodes volunteered with the Rudy Giuliani mayoral campaign. In the summer of 2001, he worked on the New York City Council campaign of Diana Reyna.[7]

Foreign policy speechwriter

File:Ben Rhodes and Barack Obama.jpg
President Barack Obama and Rhodes on board Air Force One, editing the speech for the Mandela memorial service.

In 2002, James Gibney, editor of Foreign Policy, introduced Rhodes to Lee Hamilton, former member of the House of Representatives and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, who was looking for a speechwriter.[4] Rhodes then spent five years as a Hamilton assistant, helping to draft the Iraq Study Group Report and the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.[8]

In 2007, Rhodes began working as a speechwriter for the 2008 Obama presidential campaign.

Rhodes wrote Obama's 2009 Cairo speech "A New Beginning".[9] Rhodes was the adviser who counseled Obama to withdraw support from Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, becoming a key adviser during the 2011 Arab Spring.[10] In March 2013, Rhodes declined to comment on his role in Obama administration policy decisions, saying, "My main job, which has always been my job, is to be the person who represents the president’s view on these issues."[10]

Controversy

Rhodes admitted to having misled journalists regarding the correct timeline of U.S. negotiations with the recent Iran nuclear agreement, relying upon young, inexperienced reporters to create an “echo chamber” in order to sway public opinion to seal the deal.[11][12][13]

Awards and honors

In 2011, Rhodes was on Time magazine's "40 Under 40" list of powerful and prominent young professionals.[14]

Personal life

Rhodes is married to Ann Norris, chief foreign policy adviser to Senator Barbara Boxer.[15]

References

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  9. ↑ Laurence Jarvik Blog
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  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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