Former Clinton Press Sec Joe Lockhart Leaves Facebook

Joe Lockhart
(photo from allthingsd.com)

Joe Lockhart, Bill Clinton's press secretary from 1998 to 2000, is saying sayonara to Facebook, his current employer. The news was released on a late Friday, thus guaranteeing minimal coverage except to those consiglieri paying attention. The story, with some additional juicy details about other recent, high-level Facebook departures, originally appeared in allthingsd.com, a website owned by Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Lockhart is a highly seasoned political communications expert, having worked as press secretary for Democratic presidential hopefuls Walter Mondale, Mike Dukakis, and Paul Simon (no, not the singer). What's interesting is Facebook's connection to Democratic Party insiders. In addition to Lockhart, Facebook board member and operational brain, Sheryl Sandberg, worked as Larry Summers' chief of staff during his stint as Clinton's Treasury secretary. It's also instructive to recall that, just prior to the opening of the movie The Social Network, Mark Zuckerberg donated millions to allegedly help the public schools in the very Democratic city of Newark, New Jersey. This highly publicized event, principally designed to deflect the The Social Network's highly unflattering portrait of Zuckerberg, included Democratic stalwarts such as Newark mayor Cory Booker and major Obama media pal Oprah Winfrey.

Connecting the dots of these relationships suggest the Land of Like has obtained political protection from unwanted pressure or inquiry. That situation could change very quickly if Barack Obama becomes a one-term president.