Draft:Michael S. Berman
American political strategist and lobbyist (1939–2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Stewart Berman (April 9, 1939 – January 12, 2024) was an American lobbyist and Democratic Party operative. His political rise was strongly associated with Walter Mondale, the 42nd Vice President of the United States.
Michael Stewart Berman | |
|---|---|
 Berman (left) with Walter Mondale (right), c. 1978 | |
| Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President | |
| In office January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 | |
| Counsel to the Vice President | |
| In office January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 | |
| Commissioner of the Seaway Port Authority for Duluth, Minnesota | |
| In office January 29, 1973 – April 1975 | |
| Preceding | Joseph Nardi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 9, 1939 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | January 12, 2024 (aged 84) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Party | Democratic (DFL) |
| Spouses |
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| Education | |
| Board member of | |
Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Berman graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1964 and quickly entered into politics as a volunteer for President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 reelection campaign in Minnesota. The campaign was run by Minnesota Attorney General Walter Mondale, who hired Berman after Johnson's victory. Berman worked on Mondale's 1966 Senate campaign and then joined his Senate staff. He became Mondale's top aide and also worked with many other Democratic–Farmer–Labor politicians. He briefly left politics to establish a law firm. In the 1976 presidential election, Jimmy Carter selected Mondale as his running mate. Berman worked on the victorious campaign and managed the vice presidential transition. During the Carter-Mondale administration, Berman served as deputy chief of staff and counsel to the vice president; Mondale is often regarded as the most consequential vice president in American history.[by whom?] By the time Mondale secured the Democratic nomination in the 1984 presidential election, Berman was his longest-serving aide and designated troubleshooter. Berman was the campaign's treasurer and chief-fundraiser, among other roles which included controlling the Democratic National Committee.
After Mondale was defeat by Republican incumbent Ronald Reagan, Berman became a lobbyist. He served as co-chairman of the board of Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ political lobbying group in the country, and as a board member of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. With Kenneth Duberstein, Reagan's last Chief of Staff, Berman co-founded and was president of the Duberstein Group, a bipartisan lobbying firm. Berman was involved in every Democratic presidential campaign from 1964 to 2004, was chief scheduler of six Democratic National Conventions, and held informal roles in the Clinton Administration. Later in life, Berman published a newsletter which mixed political commentary with reviews of restaurants food and restrooms and a memoir which documented his lifelong struggles with being overweight.
Early life and education
Michael Stewart Berman was born on April 9, 1939, in Duluth, Minnesota, to George and Betty Berman. His father owned a dry cleaner and his mother was a homemaker. He was the grandson of Russian immigrants. Berman was Jewish and in his youth Robert Zimmerman (later Bob Dylan) boarded at their house while attending Hebrew school in Duluth, with Berman's parents becoming Dylan's godparents. Berman graduated from East High School in 1957. He then attended the University of Minnesota at Duluth, where he edited the school newspaper and graduated with a BA in 1960. He then attended the University of Minnesota Law School, graduating with his law degree in 1964.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Mondale staffer and legal career
Mondale's staff and Democratic–Farmer–Labor politics
After graduating from law school in 1964, he...
Carter-Mondale administration
1984 presidential election
Ferraro[6]
Mondale[7]: 3
Book[8]
On the morning of Election Day, Berman went on a hike with Mondale and xxx. They engaged in festivities as it became clear that Mondale was certain to be defeated. After Mondale delivered his concession speech, Berman began crying, as did most other staffers as well as Mondale.
Berman believed that Mondale's defeat was due to his inferior media strategy, saying “”. In the event Mondale won, Berman was considered a likely choice for Deputy White House Chief of Staff, though he would put the odds of even having any role at 50/50, saying “”.
Lobbyist and Democratic insider
Clinton administration
Democratic National Convention
Berman was the chief scheduler of the Democratic National Convention in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and two other conventions. At the 2004 DNC he helped set up the keynote speech by Illinois State Senator Barack Obama, and he recalled thinking "quite an orator".[2] He was not chief scheduler of the 2008 convention, prompting speculation that he had been removed as part of a purge of Clinton-allies by Obama, after he defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries. However, he had actually refused to return in May 2007, saying: "In politics like life, it is important to know when it is time for someone else to have their turn."[9]
Later life
Personal life
pre-deletion
He is the President of The Duberstein Group, a Washington lobbying firm.[11]
Berman is a native of Minnesota. He came to Washington in the 1960s, as an aide to then-Senator Walter Mondale. When Mondale became Vice President of the United States in 1977, Berman came to the White House as Counsel to the Vice President. Berman then played a prominent role in Mondale's 1984 presidential campaign.
In 1992, Berman became a confidante to President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton. He was a prominent advisor to the two during their tenure in the White House. Berman has also played a major role in planning the Democratic National Convention for a number of years.
In 2006, Berman published an auto-biography largely focused on his lifelong struggle with being overweight, called Living Large. Berman is also the author of a self-published newsletter called Washington Watch, which mixes political commentary with restaurant reviews.[12] Berman's restaurant reviews are unique for their discussion of the design of the restrooms in the establishments being reviewed.