Longtime Republican strategist and lobbyist Ed Gillespie appears to be on the fast track to replace outgoing White House counselor Dan Bartlett and may be formally offered the post this week, according to Bush insiders.
That would allow for Gillespie to undergo a thorough security check and get the sign off from the FBI before Bartlett departs. The insiders said that Gillespie, a former House Republican leadership aide, former Republican Party chairman, founding partner of the Quinn Gillespie lobbying firm, and the current Virginia GOP chairman, has long been on President Bush’s wish list for a White House job.
They said that Bush approached Gillespie about the job during a successful GOP fundraising event in Richmond in mid-May. The Bush associates said that Gillespie is interested in joining the White House now out of a sense of respect and sacrifice for the administration he helped re-elect in 2004. One ally called Gillespie “the full package” because of his Hill experience, his work in the business community, and his ties to the Bush White House.
Gillespie is also expected to open the lines of communication between the White House and policy and political experts, even with those who don’t always agree with the president.
--Paul Bedard
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