Dana Perino
Encyclopedia
Dana Maria Perino is an American
political commentator for Fox News. She served as the White House Press Secretary
for President
George W. Bush
from September 14, 2007 to January 20, 2009. She was the second female White House Press Secretary, after Dee Dee Myers
who served during the Clinton Administration
.
, grew up in Denver, Colorado
, and is Italian-American. She attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colorado
, a suburb
of Denver. Perino graduated from Colorado State University-Pueblo in 1994 with a bachelor's degree
in mass communications and minors in both political science
and Spanish. While attending the university, she was active on the forensics (public speaking) team and with KTSC-TV, the campus-based Rocky Mountain PBS
affiliate where she served as host of Capitol Journal, a weekly summary of Colorado
politics, and producer of Standoff, a weekly public affairs program. Perino went on to obtain a masters degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield
(UIS). During her time at UIS, she also worked for WCIA, a CBS
affiliate, as a daily reporter covering the Illinois Capitol.
Perino next worked in Washington, D.C.
, for Rep. Scott McInnis
(R
-CO) of Colorado
as a staff assistant before serving nearly four years as the press secretary for Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO), who then chaired the House Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
In 1997, while on a flight to Denver, Perino met her future husband, Peter McMahon. McMahon, born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England
, is a businessman involved in the marketing and sales of medical products. The couple were married eleven months later.
After Rep. Schaefer announced his retirement in 1998, Perino and McMahon moved to the United Kingdom. After a year in the UK, Perino and McMahon moved back to the United States and resided in San Diego, California
, for three years. During that time, Perino worked in the field of high-tech public affairs.
In November 2001, Perino returned to Washington, D.C. and secured a position as a spokesperson for the Department of Justice
, at which she served for two years.
Perino then joined the White House staff as the associate director of communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ), where she provided strategic advice on message development, media relations and public outreach. The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Democratic
Rep. Edolphus Towns, asserted in its findings on climate change censorship, that the CEQ exerted undue control of media relations in governmental scientific agencies during her tenure. Science writer Mark Bowen
claimed that Perino directed other public affairs officers to kill press releases about the danger of hydrogen fuel cells after President George W. Bush
announced his support for them.
Perino served as Deputy Press Secretary from 2005 to 2007. She was hired by Scott McClellan
. In the role, Perino communicated many times a day with President Bush's director of communications, his press secretary and his director of media affairs, filtering all environment-related media calls for the White House, as well as serving as the spokesperson for the White House on environmental issues. In addition, she served as the coordinator for all agencies on environment, energy and natural resource issues, as well as reviewing and approving the agencies' major announcements,
From March 27 to April 30, 2007 she was the Acting White House Press Secretary while Tony Snow
underwent treatment for colon cancer.
On August 31, 2007, Bush announced that Snow would be resigning his post for health reasons and that Perino would become his replacement. Perino was accordingly promoted to the rank of Assistant to the President, and served as White House Press Secretary from September 14, 2007 until the end of the Bush Administration in January 2009.
On December 14, 2008, a TV journalist, Muntadar al-Zeidi, threw two shoes at Bush during a Baghdad
press conference. Bush successfully dodged both, but Perino's eye was injured by a microphone stand during the commotion surrounding al-Zeidi's arrest. When pressed, Perino said, "Sure I would take a shoe for the President".
, The Five
. In addition to her Fox assignment, Perino is a "chief issues counselor" at Burson-Marsteller
, a global public relations firm. In November 2009, she was nominated by President
Barack Obama
to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors
, an agency overseeing government-sponsored international broadcasting, and was confirmed by the Senate on June 30, 2010. In 2009, functioning as Karl Rove's
family spokeswoman, she informed the press about Rove's divorce in 2009. In 2010, she started teaching a class in political communications
part-time at George Washington University
's Graduate School of Political Management.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
known for, in an amusing fashion, embarrassing the guests. Perino told a self-deprecating, humorous anecdote about how she had to ask her husband about the Cuban Missile Crisis
after it came up in a press briefing. News reports treated her comments as a moment of levity, noting that she was born ten years after the event. On October 30, 2011, she named Steve Jobs as "one of the top innovators in history, in world history" on Fox News Sunday.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political commentator for Fox News. She served as the White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
from September 14, 2007 to January 20, 2009. She was the second female White House Press Secretary, after Dee Dee Myers
Dee Dee Myers
Dee Dee Myers served as White House Press Secretary for the first two years of the Clinton administration, from January 20, 1993 to December 22, 1994.-Early life and education:...
who served during the Clinton Administration
Presidency of Bill Clinton
The United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001. Clinton was the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full term...
.
Early life and career
Perino was born in Evanston, WyomingEvanston, Wyoming
Evanston is a city in Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 12,359 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Uinta County.-Geography:Evanston is located at...
, grew up in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, and is Italian-American. She attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colorado
Parker, Colorado
The Town of Parker is a Home Rule Municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. As a self-declared "Town" under the Home Rule Statutes, Parker is the 2nd most populous town in the county, behind Castle Rock. In recent years, Parker has become a commuter town at the southeasternmost...
, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Denver. Perino graduated from Colorado State University-Pueblo in 1994 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in mass communications and minors in both political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and Spanish. While attending the university, she was active on the forensics (public speaking) team and with KTSC-TV, the campus-based Rocky Mountain PBS
Rocky Mountain PBS
The Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network, known on-air as Rocky Mountain PBS, is the Public Broadcasting Service member non-commercial educational Public television station in Colorado. It reaches one million viewers in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and New Mexico...
affiliate where she served as host of Capitol Journal, a weekly summary of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
politics, and producer of Standoff, a weekly public affairs program. Perino went on to obtain a masters degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield
University of Illinois at Springfield
The University of Illinois at Springfield is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The University was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois system on July 1, 1995.The University of Illinois at...
(UIS). During her time at UIS, she also worked for WCIA, a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate, as a daily reporter covering the Illinois Capitol.
Perino next worked in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, for Rep. Scott McInnis
Scott McInnis
Stephen Scott Emory McInnis is a lawyer and former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado. In August, 2010, McInnis lost his bid to be gubernatorial nominee after a plagiarism accusation and apology hurt his standing.-Education and professional history:Born in...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-CO) of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
as a staff assistant before serving nearly four years as the press secretary for Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO), who then chaired the House Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
In 1997, while on a flight to Denver, Perino met her future husband, Peter McMahon. McMahon, born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, is a businessman involved in the marketing and sales of medical products. The couple were married eleven months later.
After Rep. Schaefer announced his retirement in 1998, Perino and McMahon moved to the United Kingdom. After a year in the UK, Perino and McMahon moved back to the United States and resided in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, for three years. During that time, Perino worked in the field of high-tech public affairs.
In November 2001, Perino returned to Washington, D.C. and secured a position as a spokesperson for the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, at which she served for two years.
Perino then joined the White House staff as the associate director of communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality
Council on Environmental Quality
The Council on Environmental Quality is a division of the Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental and energy policies and initiatives...
(CEQ), where she provided strategic advice on message development, media relations and public outreach. The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Rep. Edolphus Towns, asserted in its findings on climate change censorship, that the CEQ exerted undue control of media relations in governmental scientific agencies during her tenure. Science writer Mark Bowen
Mark Bowen (writer)
Mark Bowen is an American science writer, and has written on the politicization of science. He received a Ph.D. in physics from M.I.T..He is a rock-climber, and a mountain-climber who summited on Mount Kilimanjaro.- Bibliography :...
claimed that Perino directed other public affairs officers to kill press releases about the danger of hydrogen fuel cells after President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
announced his support for them.
Press Secretary
Scott McClellan
Scott McClellan is a former White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, and author of a controversial No. 1 New York Times bestseller about the Bush Administration titled What Happened. He replaced Ari Fleischer as press secretary in July 2003 and served until May 10, 2006...
. In the role, Perino communicated many times a day with President Bush's director of communications, his press secretary and his director of media affairs, filtering all environment-related media calls for the White House, as well as serving as the spokesperson for the White House on environmental issues. In addition, she served as the coordinator for all agencies on environment, energy and natural resource issues, as well as reviewing and approving the agencies' major announcements,
From March 27 to April 30, 2007 she was the Acting White House Press Secretary while Tony Snow
Tony Snow
Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow was an American journalist, political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, radio host, musician, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and...
underwent treatment for colon cancer.
On August 31, 2007, Bush announced that Snow would be resigning his post for health reasons and that Perino would become his replacement. Perino was accordingly promoted to the rank of Assistant to the President, and served as White House Press Secretary from September 14, 2007 until the end of the Bush Administration in January 2009.
On December 14, 2008, a TV journalist, Muntadar al-Zeidi, threw two shoes at Bush during a Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
press conference. Bush successfully dodged both, but Perino's eye was injured by a microphone stand during the commotion surrounding al-Zeidi's arrest. When pressed, Perino said, "Sure I would take a shoe for the President".
Post-Bush administration career
Since leaving the White House, Perino became a political commentator on Fox News. She is a regular co-host on the talk showTalk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
, The Five
The Five (TV program)
The Five is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel featuring a rotating panel of contributors who discuss current political issues. The show premiered in July 2011, replacing the Glenn Beck program, and airs on weekdays at 5:00 PM ET....
. In addition to her Fox assignment, Perino is a "chief issues counselor" at Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller is a global public relations and communications firm headquartered in the United States. Burson-Marsteller operates 67 wholly owned offices and 71 affiliate offices in 98 countries across six continents...
, a global public relations firm. In November 2009, she was nominated by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors
Broadcasting Board of Governors
The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for all non-military, international broadcasting sponsored by the U.S government. It was previously a department within the United States Information Agency until 1999.-Origins:Starting in...
, an agency overseeing government-sponsored international broadcasting, and was confirmed by the Senate on June 30, 2010. In 2009, functioning as Karl Rove's
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
family spokeswoman, she informed the press about Rove's divorce in 2009. In 2010, she started teaching a class in political communications
Political communications
Political communication is a field of communications that is concerned with politics. Communication often influences political decisions and vice versa.-Fields and areas of Study:The field of political communication concern 2 main areas:...
part-time at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
's Graduate School of Political Management.
Personal life
In 2007, Perino appeared on the radio quiz showGame show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
known for, in an amusing fashion, embarrassing the guests. Perino told a self-deprecating, humorous anecdote about how she had to ask her husband about the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
after it came up in a press briefing. News reports treated her comments as a moment of levity, noting that she was born ten years after the event. On October 30, 2011, she named Steve Jobs as "one of the top innovators in history, in world history" on Fox News Sunday.