Quayle, son of neo-con godfather Irving Kristol, Iraq war cheerleader, and now, op-ed columnist for The New York Times) to be the most influential voice in the campaign on such matters. As a testament to his influence, Kristol has helped to embed other neo-cons into the McCain camp, including Randy Scheunemann (McCain’s foreign policy director who drafted the Iraq Liberation Act and served on the PNAC board with Kristol), former CIA director James Woolsey, former Wall Street Journal editorial editor Max Boot, and brothers Robert and Frederick Kagan, of SAIS and AEI, respectively, who coauthored the report that led to the Iraqsurge strategy and were brought into the administration with the support of Dick Cheney and Joe Lieberman to convince the President to approve the escalation.

As controversial as gun laws are, there’s no doubt that gun lobbyists are a powerful bunch regardless of the outcome of a particular bill. LaPierre has served as executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association since 1991. He’s no stranger to politics, and he lobbied effectively against presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004. In a congress run by Democrats, his power is reflected in the absence of anti-handgun legislation.

Norquist, who serves on the board and performs standup comedy for the Funniest Celebrity in D.C. competition, has had an extensive list of corporate interests over the years (including serving on the board of the NRA and acting as an advisor to Microsoft). This in-your-face lobbyist heads the conservative Americans for Tax Reform and hosts the “centerright weekly Wednesday meetings” for Republican power players (recently hosting Condoleezza Rice). McCain will likely need to reach out to Norquist (who has expanded these weekly gatherings to 45 state capitals) to solidify his Republican base.

As we know from the deterioration of the financial stability of Social Security, Americans are aging in record numbers.

This pretty much makes the AARP one of the most powerful interest groups on the planet. Novelli has made it his mission to explore economic changes in Social Security and prioritize the continued well-being of 35 million American senior citizens age 50 or older, half of whom remain actively employed. He has also successfully crusaded against President Bush’s approach to health care and will exert considerable influence in the upcoming presidential election.

As former solicitor general of the United States and assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel, Olsen has argued nearly 50 Supreme Court cases, including the infamous Bush v. Gore and Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Board. He has served as private counsel under the Reagan and the current Bush administration, and insiders say he is likely to manage McCain’s judicial selection committee.

A former strategist at the Democratic Congressional and Senatorial Campaign committees, Plouffe, together with pollster-strategist David Axelrod, is in the nerve center of the Obama campaign. The two are joined there by Director of Communications Robert Gibbs (who travels with Obama), National Press Secretary Bill Burton, speechwriter Jon Faverau, and Domestic Policy Advisor Heather Higgenbottom. Axelrod and Plouffe have produced winning media and messages for over 150 campaigns at the local, state, and national levels and, along with Obama’s Senate Chief of Staff Peter Rouse, have helped turn a relative newcomer into the likely nominee for the Democratic party.

Podesta has been named one of Washington’s top lobbyists and bestconnected dealmakers by The National Journal, Wired magazine, and The Hill newspaper. As a legislative and public relations strategist, his message is frequently on point, and he played an instrumental role in Senator Clinton’s win in Pennsylvania. Additionally, his ties to members of Congress and local interest

groups make him an obvious choice for a list of Washington’s must-hire-lobbyists.

Raised in Texas (she’s the daughter of the late former Texas Gov. Anne Richards), Cecile Richards obviously doesn’t cotton to antiquated notions of women’s roles. She previously served as founder and president of America Votes, a coalition of more than 30 national organizations, including the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, of which she also served as president. As former deputy chief of staff to Rep. Nancy Pelosi she has considerable access and influence, as does her husband, Kirk Adams of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Though he’s no longer in the power seat at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, most believe that Rove’s star is still rising. Right-wing Republicans can’t get enough of his political commentary on Fox News, and the man known as “Bush’s brain” recently signed big contracts with The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and Simon & Schuster; the latter offered him a cool $1.5 million for his memoirs. The GOP still believes he holds the cards to securing the Republican base McCain needs to win.

Though he’s no longer in the power seat at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, most believe that Rove’s star is still rising. Right-wing Republicans can’t get enough of his political commentary on Fox News, and the man known as “Bush’s brain” recently signed big contracts with The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and Simon & Schuster; the latter offered him a cool $1.5 million for his memoirs. The GOP still believes he holds the cards to securing the Republican base McCain needs to win.

Although this law firm has its fair share

of star talent, Sullivan and Craig are two standouts. In addition to his legal practice, where he’s represented a host of wellknown clients including John Hinckley and Elian Gonzales, Craig has handled debate negotiations for the Obama campaign and advises the senator on foreign policy. Sullivan has defended Ollie North during the Iran-Contra scandal, enough to get him Mount Olympus status among Washington litigators. Described by The Washington Post as a “world-class lawyer,” and consistently ranked by the National Law Journal as one of “America’s One Hundred Most Influential Lawyers,” Sullivan has also represented former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros, former chairman of Cendant Corporation Walter A. Forbes, and a number of states against Microsoft.

Sweeney ushered in a breath of fresh air at the major labor union, bringing with him a focus on a younger generation of workers. Eventually, his commitment to change shook up the AFL-CIO, which split in two. Service Employees International Union president and power broker Andrew Stern now leads the new “Change To Win” branch of the AFL/CIO with Anna Burger, SEIU International secretary-treasurer and James Hoffa. Jr. of the Teamsters. Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees International, stuck with Sweeney and the AFL-CIO. Taken together, these five represent the most influential players in the labor movement and will exert considerable influence in this year’s presidential election.

These three think tanks likely house the largest number of future cabinet members and political staffers ready to return to government when the White House changes hands. Podesta, who was President Clinton’s chief of staff, founded and developed CAP into the pre-eminent