I guess I’m hopelessly out of the loop, but I didn’t realize, until looking at the New York Times photo essay right now on “Obama’s People,” that his “Special Assistant,” is a 24 year old Ann Arbor native and U-M grad, who, in 2005, ran for City Council and lost by fewer than 100 votes. Steve Rapundalo won that race, and now has the distinction of worrying about urban chickens and the like. And the man he defeated, Eugene Kang, now has an office in the White House. It’s funny how things play out.
I seem to recall having read about Kang at the time he ran for City Council — I believe on the old Ann Arbor is Overrated site — but I don’t remember the details. Chances are it had something to do with the “you can’t have couches on your porch because terrorists might set them on fire” ordinance that was then being so fiercely debated. Kang, I’m guessing, was pro-porch-couch-terror. Anyway, it would appear as though he’s done pretty well for himself now.
Congratulations, Eugene Kang. You did good.
Oh, and according to Obama, Kang has “game.”
[When I was 24, by comparrison, I was the evening kitchen manager at Seva.]
11 Comments
Why is Kang Eugene everywhere else, but Stephen on your blog?
He made a mistake and then edited the post. But by then, of course, it’s too late. The internet never forgets.
Before entering the University of Michigan, Kang attended the Greenhills School, a pricey private school in Ann Arbor. My guess is that now it might get a little pricier.
ha, this is a funny one. I knew Eugene years ago. We both worked at Barton Hills together and then on the Dingell campaign. He is a wonderful guy and a really hard worker.
Okay Mark, we get it, when you were 24 you were all ready in management while this poor fellow can only find work as a caddy/personal assistant. Just because he’s not as successful as you were at that age doesn’t mean you have to rub it in his face with all those sarcastic “nice job Eugene” jabs.
I met Eugene when he ran for Council — seemed like a very nice and earnest guy — but didn’t get to know him well.
Another young Michigan grad that is close to Obama is former Michigan Daily photographer David Katz who has been close to the Obama camp since before the famous convention speech. He got some attention earlier this year for his series of photos he took of the Obama’s behind the scenes before his acceptance speech, which he posted to Flickr.
He is a very good tennis player.
Here’s a story about his 2005 Ann Arbor City Council run.
http://www.imdiversity.com/Villages/Asian/politics_law/pc_kang_michigan_0705.asp
I went to high school with him. Well, actually, he was 4 years behind me, but Greenhills is tiny an everyone knows each other. I seem to remember him being a ridiculously good tennis player. Whatever it is, I didn’t know any of this stuff about him until I was, admittedly, reading Gawker’s Hotties of the Obama Administration tonight.
Then I google him and you come up.
Now, somehow, this will end up on that Radio Free UBU guy’s website and he will make fun of me and the whole thing will come full circle.
See, that’s why you have to read my site every day, Jordan. It’s no excuse that you aren’t reporting for the Ann Arbor News anymore. You still need to do my bidding. My nefarious plans for Michigan depend upon you.
Eugene Kang is a famous American politician who served as Special Projects Coordinator and Confidential Assistant to President Barack Obama. He is an attorney, author, and a former member of the Democratic Party. His many notable roles include being the Deputy Director of the National Security Council and the CIA’s first Asian American employee. His impressive resume reflects his impressive record and high-level accomplishments.
Born in Ann Arbor, Eugene Kang is a member of the Obama camp, and was part of the party’s Exploratory Committee before his acceptance speech. He has also run an Asian-American and Pacific-Islander website. He is a second-generation Korean-American and is a member of the AAPCI National Leadership Council. He served as a confidant for President Obama in the run-up to his election.
After leaving the Obama administration, Kang ran for City Council in Ann Arbor, and then joined the presidential campaign. He later started his own DC consulting firm and joined Teneo, which advises the world’s most successful companies on corporate positioning, regulatory matters, and complex litigation. In the meantime, he has been a mentor to several current Greenhills students. While still in college, he is a leader in his field.
Eugene Kang’s extensive background in politics is well suited for his role as a presidential aide. Despite his young age, Kang held BlackBerrys during the presidential campaign, and made occasional phone calls and emails on behalf of Obama. His appointment to the White House means that he will be among Obama’s closest advisers from morning to night. He also has extensive connections in Hollywood, which helped him land his first job as a special assistant to President Bush.