Specialty: Writer, humorist.

Fields most served: Telecommunications, technology, Internet, electronic health care.

Interview:

Q: How do you describe to friends what you do at WHWG?
Long: I’m a professional explainer.

Q: What kinds of clients do you have and what are they looking for from you?
Long: Clients expect me to care as much about their project as they do.

Q: What particular moment have you liked most in working for a client here?
Long: Nothing beats getting up in the morning, opening the paper and seeing the publication of a particular well-argued op-ed that I wrote.

Bio:   Actor and author Ben Stein put it this way: “… a poet. I don’t see anyone out there under the age of 50 writing better short pieces than he is right now."

Michael Long is a writer of growing acclaim; he is an accomplished essayist, editorialist and speechwriter with experience in government, business, and the non-profit world.

After a decade in the private sector, Michael Long was tapped by Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson to come to Capitol Hill as his sole speechwriter. During his tenure, which included the 1996 campaign finance hearings, Mr. Long also wrote Senator Thompson's half of the daily radio debate Face Off against Senator Ted Kennedy, and directed preparation for the Senator's mock presidential debates against Senator Bob Dole. Mr. Long is also an accomplished humorist. While a graduate student in physics at Vanderbilt University, Mr. Long began performing comedy, eventually becoming a house emcee for one of the oldest comedy clubs in America. He has appeared on television numerous times, was a Comic Relief competition winner, and has taught several courses on stand-up performance.

Mr. Long has written remarks for Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, diplomats, businessmen and women, CEOs, and presidential candidates. In addition, he has served as chief speechwriter for the largest trade association in the U.S. He is a frequent contributor to The Weekly Standard and National Review Online, and is a columnist for Jewish World Review. In addition, his work has earned “Best of the Web” honors from the Wall Street Journal.

He also serves as a domestic issues debater for the Closeup Foundation, is a frequent guest on talk radio, and is a guest host on the nationwide Radio America network. Beyond his more serious work in politics and policy, he has also been consulted for material in The Onion and for Saturday Night Live.

Mr. Long holds a B.S. in Physics from Murray State University. He and his wife Julia live in Burke, Virginia. They have one son and twin girls.