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Institutional
Affiliations
Humphrey
Institute: Senior Fellow; Co-Director of Policy Forum (1)
National
Endowment for Democracy: Chairman of the Board (2)
Empower
America: Co-Founder (1)
George
W. Bush Campaign: Adviser (5)
Project
for the New American Century: Letter on War on Terrorism: Signatory
(2001) (8)
Project
for the New American Century: Letter to Gingrich and Lott on
Iraq: Signatory (1998) (8)
Project
for the New American Century: Letter to President Clinton on
Iraq: Signatory (1998) (8)
Project
for the New American Century: Statement of Principles: Signatory
(1997) (8)
Aspen Institute
Domestic Strategy Group: Co-Chairman (2)
Center
of the American Experiment: Senior Fellow (1)
German
Marshall Fund: Member of Board of Trustees (1)
National
Public Radio: Member of the Board (6)
Harvard
University John F. Kennedy School of Government: Member of Visiting
Committee (1)
George
Washington University National Council for Political Management:
Member (1)
Progress
and Freedom Foundation: Former Senior Fellow (7)
Senator
Rudy Boshwitz Campaign: Manager and Chief Minnesota Aide (1978-1980)
(2)
Government
Posts/Panels/Commissions
National
Commission on Public Service: Member (1)
U.S. House
of Representatives: Minnesota Congressman (1980-1992); Founder
of Conservative Opportunity Society (4)
U.S. Representative
Tom Hagedorn: Press Secretary (1974-1976) (2)
Minnesota
State Republican Convention: Delegate (1972, 1978) (3)
Corporate
Connections/Business Interests
ITT Educational
Services: Board Member (6)
Department
56: Board Member (6)
Clark and
Weinstock: Managing Partner for Washington, D.C. (2)
The Murray
County Herald: Co-Publisher (1976-1978) (2)
Weber Publishing
Co.: President (3)
Education
University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis (3)
Right Web Connections
Individuals
William
Bennett
Newt
Gingrich
Jack
Kemp
Jeane
Kirkpatrick
Organizations
Empower
America
National Endowment
for Democracy
Project
for the New American Century
|
Highlights
& Quotes
Vin Weber, a partner at the influential Washington consulting
firm Clark & Weinstock, is a former Minnesota Republican Congressman,
banker, and head of the National Endowment for Democracy. A so-called “superlobbyist,” Weber
is a prominent inside-the-beltway player who has long supported
right-wing initiatives, including the campaigns of the Project
for the New American Century. He co-founded—with Jeane
Kirkpatrick, William
Bennett, and Jack
Kemp— Empower
America, a rightist policy outfit “devoted to ensuring
that government actions foster growth, economic well-being, freedom,
and individual responsibility.” And he was a senior fellow
at the Bradley-funded
Progress and Freedom Foundation. Weber is also associated with
the Aspen Institute, where he has served as co-director of the
domestic policy project, and Humphrey Institute, a policy institute
based at the University of Minnesota.
As a chief lobbyist at Clark & Weinstock—whose clients
include Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (who hired the firm to help
protect California military bases from closure), Microsoft, and
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers—Weber is frequently
engaged in high-profile political issues. In late 2004, Public
Citizen mentioned Weber in connection with various allegedly
inappropriate donations made to Tom DeLay’s legal-defense
fund. According to the watchdog group, Weber contributed $1,000
to the fund despite the fact that House rules prohibit payments
to legal defense funds from lobbyists. “It’s a clear-cut
violation of House rules,” opined Public Citizen about
the payments. (10, 11)
According to a 2000 Center for Public Integrity report, Weber
is considered a “super-lobbyist” in Washington. Weber
and Kenneth Duberstein, both of whom have served as political advisers
for John McCain, “together are currently registered to lobby
for more than fifty-five corporate and special interests, many
of them with concerns before the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation, which McCain chairs.” (9)
Weber got his start in politics in 1974, when he served as a
press secretary for Cong. Tom Hagedorn. After serving as a campaign
manager for Sen. Rudy Boshwitz in 1978-1980, Weber won a seat in
the House in 1981, representing Minnesota until 1993.
Weber’s career on K Street began shortly after he retired
from the House. In 1994 he opened Clark & Weinstock’s
first office in Washington, where he had an immediate impact. In
a 1998 exposé about lobbyists, the New York Times highlighted
the work of Weber: “Former Representative Vin Weber is among
the most successful of a new crop of Republican lobbyists. Working
as a tag team of political influence, Mr. Weber often pairs up
with [New York Democrat Thomas] Downey for clients, including Microsoft.
He works out of the gleaming offices of Clark & Weinstock,
a Wall Street consulting firm that did not have a Washington outpost
until Mr. Weber opened one in 1994, after he retired from Congress.
As one of Mr. Gingrich’s
best friends in the House, the Minnesota Republican was in immediate
demand. ‘People were looking for G.O.P. consultants and lobbyists
all over the place,’ Mr. Weber said in an interview. Mr.
Weber now heads an eight-man office that reported lobbying revenues
of $2.2 million in 1997.
“Like Mr. Downey, Mr. Weber is still an inside player,
jetting off earlier this year to join Mr. Gingrich at a Republican
event in Palm Springs, Calif. And he, too, finds his new profession
more rewarding in many ways. ‘With no disrespect to Congress,’ Mr.
Weber said, ‘not everything you do as a Congressman is very
exciting’.” (12)
According to his biography on the web site of the National Endowment
for Democracy, where he serves as a board member, “Weber has
been at the center of American government for nearly two decades.” Since
his retirement from the House in 1993, “he has represented
some of America’s strongest and most entrepreneurial companies,
as well as public interest groups serving children, medical professionals,
and cancer victims. In addition, business, political, and media leaders
continually seek his insight and guidance on domestic and global
affairs.” |
