Politico today published a 42-page glossy magazine of "50 Politicos to Watch" and among the ranks are a handful of current and former PR pros patrolling the capital and beyond.
They include:
Ben LaBolt - communications director for then-Senator Barack Obama, he is now an assistant White House press secretary who specializes in "pushback" and is known to send images of crying mimes to reporters in his crosshairs.
Politico notes LaBolt is "responsible for baby-sitting a handful of high-maintenance columnists and several of the most conspicuous problem children in the White House press corps."
“If you get a call from LaBolt, your stomach tightens, because you know something has gone horribly, horribly wrong,” an administration official half-joked.
Philippe Reines - (pictured) former Sen. Hillary Clinton press secretary now a senior advisor to the Secretary of State:“You’re deflecting the puck with your stick, your face mask, your knees,” he said about his strategy of defending Clinton from the press.
Samantha Tubman - a press wrangler for the Obama campaign, she now orchestrates White House events -- from bill signings to the Halloween partys -- as deputy director of the W.H. social office. The Washington Post last year called her the "maestra of the minutiae" behind White House gatherings.
“We have to be aware of every single detail,” Tubman told Politico.
James Courtovich - the managing partner of Kearsarge Global Advisors is well-known for his "Gaucho" parties at his D.C. home and Politico added him to its list as a top "scenemaker."
Earlier this year, Kearsarge was handling media relations for Iraq's former prime minister Ayad Allawi, whose coalition took more seats than current PM Nori Al-Maliki in March elections.
(Image via Gawker)