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Carter Confidant, Press Secretary Powell Dead at 65

Aide helped engineer Ga. governor's rise to the White House

By M. Morris,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 14, 2009 6:23 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Former White House press secretary Jody Powell, a longtime aide who helped engineer Jimmy Carter's run to the White House, died today after apparently suffering a heart attack at his Maryland home, the Washington Post reports. He was 65. A member of the "Georgia Mafia" that stormed the capital after the 1976 election, Powell leveraged his close relationship with Carter to the benefit of the reporters who relied on him for information.

"You could take what he told you to the bank because he was so close to Carter," said Stephen Hess, an expert on politics and the media. "The problem for the White House press corps is that they do not see a lot of the president or go inside the Oval Office, and so they rely heavily on what a press secretary tells them."

White House press secretary Jody Powell speaks at a news conference in Milwaukee, March 30, 1980.
White House press secretary Jody Powell speaks at a news conference in Milwaukee, March 30, 1980.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
Altoecko
Sep 15, 2009 12:26 PM CDT
He's still a great man who's done a lot for this country and the world.
pg13
Sep 15, 2009 1:59 AM CDT
A very nice man too. I worked for him (volunteer) at the campaign office on Peachtree in 74. He was very forgiving of my teenage screw-ups.
brawne
Sep 14, 2009 11:31 AM CDT
Peace Jody. He's the first press secretary that I really remember because goodness he did a lot of tap dancing for Carter. Poor guy, where do you go with a President who beats a rabbit to death with a paddle? And I liked Carter, but you have to admit that that's right up there with shooting your friend in the face.

 
Jimmy Carter • White House • obituary • death • press secretary • Jody Powell • Carter administration

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