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What the media overlooks about Barack is the way he is an effective executive of politics's most successful inner circle. On the Republican side, Karl Rove, Ann Colter, Pat and Bay Buchanan, the legendary Lee Atwater,and others are well know for their methods and ideas about how to run successful campaigns. Karl Rove, after just missing an indictment while in the White House as an advisor, is actively involved with McCain's campaign, and credited with the campaign's heavy negative attacks-something McCain swore to avoid.

But who are the persons who are the brain trust of Barack's campaign? Ignoring William Ayers or Jeremiah Wright, the persons who have been on the long march to November will wield real power and influence if the Democrats win.

Forget the straw men tilted at by the Republicans. Raising a barrage of objections and questions about people like Ayers, Wright, or others--who are not even near the margins of Barack's prime time coffee club of advisors--is simply a campaign tactic. It shifts our eye away from what should be our main focus: Who are David Axelrod, Robert Gibbs, Robert Bauer, Larry Grisolano, David Plouffe, Valerie Jarrett, Steve Hildebrand, Jim Margolis, Heather Higginbottom, Marty Nesbitt, Julianna Smoot, and Linda Douglas? Why do they operate in a media vacuum?

What do we know about them?

Why has the media failed to discuss the experiences, leadership skills, and organizational culture of Barack's campaign? This abject failure has left America completely in the dark about the people who may be the central advisors to Barack if he wins the Presidency.

In no partcular order, here is a short introduction to Barack's inner circle!

Julianna Smoot is the 75 million dollar woman, Baracks national finance director, a veteran Democratic fund raiser whose spartan office was once three blocks from the US Capitol in Washington. She has taken the campaign from hope to reality. Her first list of donors "wasn't much to work with, but that's how we started," she's quoted as saying. Her first meeting with Barack marked the beginning of a political fund raising juggernaut which rolled over the Clinton's, the savviest fund raisers in Democratic (party) history. She's 40 years old,her father is a North Carolina golf pro. Smoot, who had raised 21 million for Tom Daschle (SD) failed re-election bid and once worked for John Edwards, wrote the Obama team a memo and was hired. Joined with hotel heiress Penny Pritzker (Chicago, Michelle's brother, who once played for the Bulls, coached her children's basketball team), along with key fund raisers from New York and Philadelphia, Smoot put together a plan with modest goals: Nine million in the campaigns for quarter!

Smoot also hired Meaghan Burdick, 31, to develop a strategic campaign for raising funds on the internet. Burdick begin with a list of 800,000 names from lists of persons who might respond to "hope" and "change." 17,000 donations came back. Within five days of Barack's Springfield announcement, $500,000 had come in. "It was overwhelming," according to Burick. They realized: target everyone-not just the wealthy. This idea has been the most successful in the history of any campaign.

Valerie Jarrett has no formal title in the campaign, but the former President of the Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago real estate developer, a veteran of Chicago politics, she is the consummate insider, and has the ear of both Barack and Michelle. She speaks frankly and thoughtfully, and says what the campaign aides might leave unspoken. She once hired Michelle to work for the city.

Linda Douglas, the decade-long congressional correspondent for ABC news, left her network reporter's position to join Barack's campaign, deciding she "couldn't sit on the sidelines anymore."

Steve Hildebrand who worked for Senator Minority leader, Tom Daschle (SD), signed on with Barack right at the beginning. He was a former Executive Director of the South Dakota and Minnesota Democratic Parties. Hildebrand is Barack's deputy national campaign director, and an expert in field operation.

Marty Nesbitt is also a former Chair of the Chicago Transit Authority and is a neighbor of Barack in the South Side community of Hyde Park. The owner and President of a airport parking company, he is a dinner buddy of Barack and a "running mate" on the basketball court. Nesbitt's wife, a pediatrician, delivered both the Obama's daughters.

Jim Margolis is a founder and senior partner in a well known behind the scenes Washington public relations firm that is involved in everything from Democratic politics to national advocacy. (Smokey the Bear is one of his form's clients.) Margolis develops media strategies for the Barack's campaign, creative vision, methods, products, message, distribution, placement, strategic plans show earmarks of his experience and creative thinking, and ability to build a message through a variety of media.

Robert Bauer, a long haired Washington lawyer, and a 1976 graduate of UVA's law school, is the campaign's general counsel. Bauer is considered one of the nation's most influential attorneys (in a survey of lawyers), Bauer is an expert in election law.

Larry Grisolano, born in Iowa, is a California direct mail specialist who successfully fought a number of California propositions. Seen as progressive, he teams with civil right organizations and has an extensive range of political contacts and two decades of political experience. He co-managed Gary Davis' winning campaign for governor of California. He is charge of polling, focus groups, dial, and research.

Heather Higginbottom, 35, is the campaign's domestic policy director. He plays both offense and defense: she briefs Barack on a variety of issues prepares position papers, and answers attacks from the Republicans.

Robert Gibbs is one of the big three, with Axelrod and Plouffe, is the traveling companion to Barack and his media and communications director. Gibbs' dust up with Fox's Sean Hannity raised his profile when he attacked Hannity for having interviewed an anti-Semite guest.

David Axelrod, Barack's top strategist and David Plouffe, the campaign's manager are partners is a Chicago-based national media firm. Plouffe, 41, born in Delaware, has had a large number of political positions in government and campaigns, working on political staffs. Plouffe helped raised a record $95 million for congressional races in 2000. Plouffe is considered the mastermind behind taking the campaign to large and small states and looking beyond Super Tuesday primaries to continue building a base. Plouffe controls leaks: Barack's campaign has avoided the public smack-downs of other campaigns. Plouffe has rejected orthodoxy and conventional wisdom to run one of the best-funded, finely tuned, expertly organized campaign in American political history. With a combination of freedom for local supporters to create and work in their communities and the powerful application of traditional means such as phone booths, Plouffe has added high-tech twists, low target fund-rising, and 50 state campaigning to force McCain to abandon Michigan. Plouffe handles and oversees every aspect of the campaign, from field organization, advertising, and fund raising. All of this in the hands of a man who will not reimburse cab fare in New York-only subway fare! In the classic style of Chicago politics, grassroots organizing has given Obama a huge edge.

David Axelrod, a mustached regular "Joe," has worked on 150 winning political campaigns and started in politis when he was 13. He is the top strategist for Barack's presidential run. He is master at solving the problems and issues and layers of political communication, from persuading voters to change their minds and support his candidate, to holding on to and motivating the party's base to attracting new supporters by the campaign's message. The son of two Jewish liberals, born in Manhattan, he attended the Univeristy of Chicago, worked the night desk at the Chicago Tribune, worked for Richie Daley (defending Daley in the media against charges of corruption). And combines idealism with hired muscle: he loves the fight, he believes in the message.

Hillary Clinton was a very good friend of Axelrod's and helped raise funds for a foundation he and his wife supported. Despite their strong friendship, Axelrod signed on with Obama.

(Three other articles by Walter Rhett you might enjoy are "In my Reverie": Here's What Readers around the Country think about... , "Ruby, My Dear": All 13 Presidential Candidates! and Protect Your Vote: Everything you Need to Know to Vote-On SearchWarp!)

Thanks for reading!