The Operatives is an ongoing portrait series of people working in the political sphere. This series was inspired by Richard Avedon's work in the 1970's.
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1483,1977,700,1977/0-0-0/94ac9d04-bcd2-4e61-a6bf-e9c3e16223e3/1/1/Portrait_SS_01.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=157363fecc5bd62315fe5bc3777a9cd2e395700691875444078f5533864bd31c)
Madeline Albright
Secretary of State
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,2576,3435,700,3435/0-0-0/5c19593c-4389-484b-ac68-a834fb60db5b/1/1/Cornel_West_Portrait_BW+copy.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=1854210022d5abc2a9c8e4650213afdd48202898988d5eb6f8e19c2dc6971454)
Dr. Cornel West
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/f969b84c-dc5a-4296-b7d1-4c091f8014b6/1/1/Portrait_SS_14.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Karl Rove
Deputy Chief of Staff, George W. Bush
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/6fc8f16f-11bf-4bfb-b070-fd8af861cfc3/1/1/Portrait_SS_26.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Susan Rice
National Security Advisor & Ambassador to the United Nations
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,2576,3435,700,3435/0-0-0/5a773d6e-d078-43a3-a19b-d64f8780c0b8/1/1/Rice2.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=1854210022d5abc2a9c8e4650213afdd48202898988d5eb6f8e19c2dc6971454)
Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,2536,3382,700,3382/0-0-0/e142d6e8-0cb3-49a3-9b33-0a9bbec252b7/1/1/Ryan.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=8e9ed982857faa874dc33d88d44d6e2ad9a4d91d450fd68c0060d71f48eeef3a)
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/a8a00c32-952e-452b-b7ec-5b9d671021b8/1/1/Portrait_SS_08.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Andrew Card, Mack McLarty, Dennis McDonough
Chiefs of Staff to Bush, Clinton and Obama
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1459,1945,700,1945/0-0-0/c0b56fed-c4ec-4213-bf8b-3c78ee9b4c7c/1/1/Portrait_SS_07.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=3c2c7cb8fb726222018372ba5a5bc68057b59e8890c21855377789668266e564)
Robert Rubin
Secretary of the Treasury
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/e6db1372-8a5d-419d-a7a3-580446172c79/1/1/Portrait_SS_06.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
John Negroponte
Director of National Intelligence
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/365d6195-3546-41fc-bb97-af140d873cb8/1/1/Portrait_SS_10.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary of Health and Human Services
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/98d1d3d3-8157-4c82-9626-09046b8fb054/1/1/Portrait_SS_13.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Larry Sabato
Director, UVA Center for Politics
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/517a3e06-720d-44ec-bbec-88b06b3f4675/1/1/Portrait_SS_02.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
John Dickerson
Host, 60 Minutes
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/320ecbc6-9050-482b-a7b5-96c0c6119a5c/1/1/Portrait_SS_19.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Kristina Johnson
Undersecretary of Energy
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/965e2cb0-a900-4092-8f2d-c07de312694f/1/1/Portrait_SS_03.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Stephen Hadley
Deputy National Security Advisor
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/538ed55d-2979-40fc-bdc1-93e4b363034a/1/1/Portrait_SS_28.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Mona Sutphen
Deputy Chief of Staff, President Obama
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Chris Matthews
Host, Hardball with Chris Matthews
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John Bridgeland
Director White House Domestic Policy Council
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1366,1821,700,1821/0-0-0/acb5dfe1-63f0-4bf6-89ae-0c38df60df38/1/1/Portrait_SS_20.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=56cb2b70d625f0f89c9225b2c1b0e927714d89eb46ad360cea26d6e330aeaeba)
David Saperstein
United States Ambassador
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/0677001e-a5e7-4d9a-a4f3-839eaa3a564a/1/1/Portrait_SS_25.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Melody Barnes
Assistant to President Obama and Director of White House Domestic Policy Council
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/25800834-8967-4d7d-985a-897d88d031f0/1/1/Portrait_SS_18.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Yoni Appelbaum
Editor, The Atlantic
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/d9c44171-9fad-431f-8756-f82d40abb4e2/1/1/Portrait_SS_21.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Ibram X. Kendi
Director, Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/f4f61514-4950-4a4d-98db-f30eeba24d98/1/1/Portrait_SS_22.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Margaret Brennan
Moderator, Face the Nation
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/2938a631-9579-40eb-829c-1d12d92fa28d/1/1/Portrait_SS_27.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Amy Walter
Editor, The Cook Report
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/ae2c7d34-f3e1-4889-8005-038c7fa31a0a/1/1/Portrait_SS_23.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Kyle O'Connor
Speechwriter, Barack Obama
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/dbbc1d96-8eae-49a3-ade0-f02635ff9784/1/1/Portrait_SS_11.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Chris Lu
Deputy Labor Secretary
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/0e2b68bd-ff1f-41cd-bd8f-30df6c4593a0/1/1/Portrait_SS_05.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Bill Antholis
Director, The Miller Center
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/f6db99dd-7cb6-49e8-9f57-d96de25059b3/1/1/Portrait_SS_16.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Jamelle Bouie
NY Times Columnist
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/3c4fce6d-038d-4249-87b4-c1fc1e5304fe/1/1/Portrait_SS_24.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Risa Goluboff
Dean, UVA School of Law
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/fb740600-c1c5-4b3d-b8e7-8307f7129810/1/1/Portrait_SS_29.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Robert Bruner
Dean Emeritus, UVA Darden School of Business
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/1b7fb410-6bb8-43fa-924a-c352aa7327be/1/1/Portrait_SS_15.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Dan Bartlett
Counselor, George W. Bush
![](https://format.creatorcdn.com/d7884af1-6404-4bc7-80fa-803b2bca8846/0/0/0/0,0,1500,2000,700,2000/0-0-0/f86c5b74-d0ac-4db3-97da-35e62d39de25/1/1/Portrait_SS_12.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037563476~hmac=734f73a509e76b0675a3d900d6a4a81ea06b10b3a27eaf7c43fcc9fa4be07e8b)
Jason Johnson
Professor, Morgan State University
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