Eva Longoria + Obama reelection campaign,What do former White House chief of staff Bill Daley, Caroline Kennedy, Hollywood's Eva Longoria, and Russ Feingold have in common? They're all among the three dozen "national co-chairs" of President Barack Obama's reelection effort.
The Obama campaign said in an early Wednesday announcement that the officials "will serve as ambassadors for the President, advise the campaign on key issues, and help engage and mobilize voters in all 50 states."
Feingold, a former Democratic senator from Wisconsin who has been critical of the expansion of the national security state, has not shied from criticizing Obama in the past. He recently blasted the president's decision to embrace super PACs by saying Obama's choice amounted to "dancing with the devil."
The group also includes Joe Solomonese, the president of the gay-rights group Human Rights Campaign; business executive Penny Pritzker, once thought to be in the running to be Obama's commerce secretary; and actor Kalpen Modi — better known as Kal Penn — formerly of the TV drama "House" and the star of the "Harold and Kumar" movies. Former Ohio governor Ted Strickland and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are also co-chairs.
A full list of the co-chairs:
Lynnette Acosta — Obama campaign volunteer leader from Florida
Marc Benioff — chief executive of Salesforce.com
Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado
Mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio
Governor Lincoln Chafee — governor of Rhode Island
Ann Cherry — Retired teacher and Obama campaign volunteer leader from North Carolina
Representative Judy Chu of California
Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri
Bill Daley — former White House chief of staff to President Obama, former secretary of commerce
Maria Elena Durazo — executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois
Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago
Russ Feingold — former senator from Wisconsin
Representative Charles A. Gonzalez of Texas
Loretta Harper — high school counselor and Obama campaign volunteer leader from Nevada
Attorney General Kamala Harris of California
Sai Iyer — student at Virginia Commonwealth University and Obama campaign volunteer leader from Virginia
Caroline Kennedy — author and president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
Eva Longoria — actress and philanthropist
Felesia Martin — Obama campaign volunteer leader from Wisconsin
Bishop Vashti McKenzie — African Methodist Episcopal bishop
Attorney General Tom Miller of Iowa
Kalpen Modi — actor and former White House associate director for the Office of Public Engagement
Admiral John Nathman — Retired U.S. Navy
Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts
Federico Pena — former secretary of transportation and former secretary of energy
Elaine Price — retired Ohio resident and Obama campaign volunteer leader from Ohio
Penny Pritzker — founder and chief executive of PSP Capital Partners
John Register — U.S. Army veteran and Paralympian
Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire
Joe Solmonese — president of the Human Rights Campaign
Alan Solow — partner at DLA Piper LLP and a past chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
Ted Strickland — former governor of Ohio
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles