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A Lesson Every Political Aide Learns Eventually

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When I first worked in politics — first for a senator, then for a governor — I was told one thing above all: be very careful when talking to reporters.

You could speak on background or off the record, my boss said, but only if you negotiated the terms in advance. Even then, he warned, there were no guarantees. Once the words leave your mouth, you’ve lost control over them.

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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