others add staff

(from yesterday's hotline)

A short Troika today, with staff news only. Mark Daley, a former IA Dem party comm. dir, will serve as Sen. Hillary Clinton's communications director in NH. He'll work for JoDee Winterhoff, Clinton's state director.

As state director, Nick Clemons is unquestionably a big get for Clinton in NH. (Writes James Pindell: "Due to his experience and his prominent political family, Clemons is the biggest New Hampshire "get" who had not yet signed with a candidate." Still, a prominent New Hampshire Dem who isn't yet supporting any candidate e-mailed us with some local perspective: "I don’t think his appointment will impress the grassroots/rabble. And [a friend] laughed at the ‘intensive search’ description. Clinton and Nick got where they are through nepotism – Nick’s mother is a state rep." That she is -- she's a very prominent, powerful Nashua Dem. But Clemons has credentials: his first presidential campaign experience was based in Nashua: he was the city field dir. for Al Gore's '00 presidential bid, working under Nick Baldick, a very senior aide to John Edwards.

EX-Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), fresh on the heels of announcing Iowa endorsements and a campaign manager who can raise money (Chip Saltzman), today received the endorsements of of ex-Manchester GOP cmte chair Cliff Hurst, and ex-NH state school board member Fred Bamante. We're not obsessed with money, but it would be more comforting to fans of the AR governor if he released the names of some GOP donors who're supporting him.