WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- Former Kansas House member and Clinton administration agricultural secretary Dan Glickman has been tapped to head the Motion Picture Association of America.
The choice of the 59-year-old Democrat to replace Jack Valenti in arguably the highest profile lobbying position in Washington after his 38 years at the helm of the group came as a bit of a surprise to some given the push made by the Republican Congressional leaders, led by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, to ensure more Republicans are represented in the ranks of Washington lobbying community.
K street has long been a place dominated by Democrats.
Valenti leaves the post after an exhaustive search for his replacement, a post that outgoing Louisiana Republican Rep. Bill Tauzin reportedly turned down.
The group not only lobbies Washington in the name of the top seven Hollywood movie studies, it also oversees the U.S. movie rating system.
Glickman is no stranger to Hollywood, have lobbied for the Walt Disney Co.
In addition, his son Jonathan is a movie producer whose credits including "Rush Hour" and "Shanghai Noon" along with the sequels to both films.
