An Interesting Old Story About Jo Anne Barnhart

Even with Jo Anne Barnhart's term as Social Security Commissioner ending in about four months, there is still interest in what sort of person she is, especially since she may be nominated for a second six year term as Commissioner. Here is an excerpt from an interesting old story from the Baltimore Sun about her, which came out at the time she was first nominated for the position:

Much of her career appears to have been shaped by her service to [former Republican Senator from Delaware] Roth, a former Senate Finance Committee chairman, for whom she worked off and on in several capacities since shortly after graduating from the University of Delaware in 1975.

Through the course of five Roth re-election campaigns and various stints on Roth's Senate staff, she developed into a fiercely protective senior adviser to the veteran lawmaker. She served him much as presidential counselor Karen Hughes serves President Bush, as chief spokesman and gatekeeper as well as a top tactician and alter-ego.

"She was intensely loyal to Roth and fiercely committed to [his] cause," said Brian Selander, press secretary to Delaware Democrat Thomas R. Carper, who defeated Roth last year in his bid for a sixth term at age 79.

Celia Cohen, a political writer who has covered Delaware politics for 20 years, called Barnhart "relentless."

The Roth campaign "was known as 'The Thrasher' because they just ground [rival candidates] up," said Cohen. "Jo Anne is very much a control person - nothing escaped her notice."

During the 1988 campaign, Cohen said, Barnhart was nine months pregnant with her son, Niles, and on the campaign trail full time. She left on a Friday, Cohen recalled, gave birth over the weekend and was in campaign headquarters directing traffic - with a days-old infant at her side - by Tuesday.