Uber Snags David Plouffe

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Uber Snags Former Obama Campaign Guru. David Plouffe will head the ride-sharing company’s policy team.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/uber-snags-former-obama-campaign-guru-20140819

Former Obama administration adviser David Plouffe, who headed the president's 2008 campaign, is heading to Uber to lead the company's policy and political efforts.

Plouffe, who left the White House in early 2013, said in a Tuesday company announcement that he "could not be more excited to join such a vibrant company and its people who will be at the absolute leading edge of tomorrow's innovations."

The move comes just weeks after the Republican Party made overtures at the ride-sharing company, emailing a petition in support of its mission.

(snip)
"This controversy exists because we are in the middle of a political campaign and it turns out the candidate is Uber," he wrote on Uber's blog. "Our opponent – the Big Taxi cartel – has used decades of political contributions and influence to restrict competition, reduce choice for consumers, and put a stranglehold on economic opportunity for its drivers."

[Gidney N Cloyd]

1. Democratic honcho to lead company that seeks to undercut taxi driver pay and safety regs.