John M. Meyers. This Bush appointee's name doesn't ring a bell, does it? John is currently a leadership figure in the Office of Advance at the White House (either Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Advance or Special Assistant to the President for Operations and Deputy Director of Advance**). John makes in the neighborhood of $137,000 a year.
What is advance, you ask? Some people call it "event management." Others call it "front work." It's more than that. Everywhere the President, First Lady or VP goes, they have advance people. Advance people set the stage, order the lights, allow guests in, drive the motorcades, set up the photo lines. Advance people create the "pictures." Advance people control the media's access. In short, advance people are important but necessarily obscure and stealth. And the Advance Office is a wing of "Senior Advisor" Karl Rove's operation.
Read on...
Advance staffers in the Bush Administration are so stealth, they can throw people out of events because of their bumper stickers. So stealth, they can impersonate Secret Service Agents. So stealth, they can be frat boys spending government money. So stealth, they don't get caught. At least in this Administration. But this isn't about stealth, this is about John M. Myers and the caliber of people the White House uses to deliver the President.
John M. Myers is not one to keep a low profile. He was extensively profiled in 2004 by Sidwell Friends School Alumni Magazine (at the time John was an "advance volunteer"). Not a great way to stay under the radar. But being a volunteer wasn't a hindrance -- John had full access back in 2004:
Meyers spent "52 weeks on the road" for Bush in 1999—2000 and "when he won, I just sort of came into the presidential advance office." Although he works in the White House, he chose not to accept a salary when he is on official business because, he explains,he owns a company—U.S. Vending, which operates vending machines throughout the United States. He also is a partner in a security company in Texas.
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As head of the White House advance team, Meyers coordinates up to 100 people who go out ahead of the President to event sites.
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When a series of hurricanes struck Florida and Alabama early this fall, he was sent to coordinate official inspection visits by the President. "I really felt like I was serving the country on those trips."
... and, most importantly
Single, Meyers lives in Georgetown when he is in Washington, which isn’t often.
Single, indeed, and not afraid to flaunt it (all photos from a public photo sharing site and were available to anyone who wanted to view them):
(original caption - (something to the gist of) drinking at the Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown with the head of Bush's Advance team!) The ladies at the time were freshmen at American University.
But not content to chat up the ladies, Johnny has to show off:
(original caption - "I gotta badge, fool!")
I am no security expert, but letting random people take pictures of your White House Security Bage and post it to the internet seems like a pretty bad idea to me, John. It pretty clearly says "John M. Meyers, Senior Presidential Advance Representative."
And could we get a close look at that metal badge, too?
Thanks!
Fear not, no more pictures at the bar. The party moves back to John's pad in Georgetown:
(original caption - "Back at John's place.")
Hope that's just tobacco in the water pipe, John. Otherwise you might have some problems with your security clearance. And note the picture of Jordanian King Abdullah on the right -- a likely souvenir from an official Presidential visit to Jordan.
Everyone's having a mellow time. Note the Presidential credentials hanging from the TV!
(original caption - (something to the gist of) The girl pictured loves the hookah!)
Behold, America - one of the fine young men the Bush Administration has chosen to represent the White House (and you!) at home and abroad. A sight to behold indeed.
Call up John and ask him what he was thinking! The White House Switchboard is 202-456-1414.
**(bonus from above) John's predecessor (Special Assistant for Operations and Deputy Director of Advance) was a young lad named Steve Atkiss. 30-something Atkiss is now Chief of Staff at DHS' Bureau of Customes and Border Protection. Atkiss was fingered as one of three who ordered the ejection of the Denver Three. Atkiss explained that the White House can exclude or throw citizens out of events if their viewpoints don't match those of the President. Atkiss also toiled three doors down from the Oval Office in the West Wing in an office he shared with Rove protegee (since resigned under scandal) Susan Ralston. Oh, and 30-something Border Patrol Chief of Staff Steve Atkiss' dad Anthony was, until recently, Vice President of PR at Exxon Mobil.
This is the public face of the Bush Administration.