John P McConnell

John P. McConnell is a Washington-based consultant in the fields of politics, government, business, and entertainment. A longtime senior speechwriter for President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, John was part of the three-person team responsible for all of the 43rd President’s major addresses, including the speech to the Joint Session of Congress after September 11, 2001 and four State of the Union Messages. He co-authored eulogies by Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney for President Ronald Reagan, remarks following the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia, and the President’s remarks on September 14, 2001 at the National Cathedral in Washington. John served all eight years of the Bush-Cheney administration, holding the unique position of both Deputy Assistant to the President and Assistant to the Vice President. Previously he had worked as a speechwriter for Vice President Dan Quayle and Senator Bob Dole, and traveled extensively with both during national campaigns. He has visited more than 30 countries on Air Force One and Air Force Two. In his career he has also practiced law and served as a law clerk to Judge J. Daniel Mahoney of the United States Court of Appeals in New York City. He is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia. A lifelong political enthusiast, John was a page in the United States Senate under the sponsorship of Senator William Proxmire, Democrat of Wisconsin. He grew up in Bayfield, Wisconsin and is a graduate of Wayland Academy, Carleton College, and Yale Law School. He is 46 years old and lives in Arlington, Virginia.