Lanny Jesse Davis is a political operative, lawyer, consultant, lobbyist, author, and television commentator. Mr. Davis is the founder of the Washington, D.C., law firm, Lanny J. Davis & Associates. He is one of the first to use the concept of legal crisis management to solve client problems—operating at the intersection of law, media, and politics. He is a former special counsel to President Bill Clinton in 1996–98 and served on a privacy and civil liberties panel appointed by President George W. Bush. He has been writing his “Purple Nation” column for more than 13 years.