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Anne Womack Kolton has been named public affairs director for the Energy Department.

Kolton last served Vice President Cheney as his campaign press secretary. Prior to that, she oversaw the Treasury Department’s public affairs shop. Kolton started with the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2000, serving as Cheney’s assistant press secretary.

In Good Spirits. Sarah Rosen, who worked most recently as communications director for the Arizona Democratic Party, has landed a job as communications director for the Distilled Spirits Council in D.C. In that capacity, she will handle press for the trade association’s activities in all 50 states and state capitals.

Before working in Arizona, Rosen worked on Capitol Hill as press secretary to Reps. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) and Sam Farr (D-Calif.). She was also communications director to Ira Shapiro, an unsuccessful candidate for Congress in Maryland in 2002, and had previously worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Broadway Frank. The New York Democratic Party has a new political director.

He is Frank Nemeth, a veteran of Empire State politics who most recently was the top aide to Paul Tokasz, the state Assembly’s Majority Leader.

Last fall, Nemeth took leave from his Assembly job to run field operations for the successful campaign of freshman Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.). In 2000, he was the upstate campaign coordinator for now-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). And he spent several years working in a variety of capacities for former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo (D).

Nemeth, a Buffalo native, will divide his time between Albany and New York City.

A Chairman Among Chairmen. Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer was re-elected president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs last week.

He was first elected in 2003 and will serve in the unpaid post until January 2007. The last Michigander to have that job was Rick Weiner, who held the post almost 20 years ago.

Also in Michigan … Republicans selected Saul Anuzis, a Lansing businessman, to head up the state GOP, the Detroit Free Press reported.

He replaces Betsy DeVos, who did not seek another two-year term.

The party also selected Margy Van Houten to serve as co-chairwoman.

Warren’s Warren. Former state Rep. Warren Henderson was chosen to lead the New Hampshire Republican Party last month.

He was unopposed in his effort to succeed Jayne Millerick, who stepped down to spend more time on her business, the Nashua Telegraph reported.

Henderson said a top priority will be winning back the governor’s mansion for his party in 2006.

Sticking with the Same Horses. Both parties’ chairmen recently survived challenges to their power in the Evergreen State.

Despite the protracted governor’s race, which saw three vote counts before Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) could ascend from attorney general and which has produced an ongoing lawsuit, Washington’s party faithful stuck by their chairmen.

Both Democratic Chairman Paul Berendt and GOP leader Chris Vance won new terms last month after fending off multiple challengers.

Acting Like a Chairman. The Show Me State’s former acting governor, Roger Wilson, was chosen to lead the Missouri Democratic Party again last month.

The pol said he will work hard to put Democrats in the majority in the statehouse, where they are in the minority in both chambers of the Legislature and lost the governorship in 2004.

Moenning the Decks. Jessica Moenning has been tapped to serve the Nebraska Republican Party as executive director. She succeeds Chris Peterson, who left for a job with the Union Pacific Railroad.

Moenning previously was the party’s finance director, a post she left to manage the successful campaign of Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.).

A New Progressive PAC. Self-described “disgruntled” Democrats are launching Six PAC, a new political action committee, in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

The group hopes to raise enough money to focus on six “squeaker” races per cycle, according to an e-mail inviting people to the group’s launch at the Childe Harold bar and restaurant in Dupont Circle.

Paying $20.06 will help the group focus on “the state and federal races that look like they’re coming down to a percent or two —the squeakers.”

“Six PAC is dedicated to reawakening America’s progressive majority. Our mission is to provide financial and strategic support in close and critical races and to reveal our country’s true color.”

See www.06pac.org for more information on the group.

Dot’s Dot. The George Washington University Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet is seeking nominations for its Golden Dot Awards.

The awards recognize excellence in political Web sites, Web logs and campaigns.

Nominations close Feb. 18.

To make a nomination, go to https://www.ipdi.org/politicsonline.

Winners will be announced at the institute’s conference March 10-11 at the university.

Make a WISH. The WISH List will launch a political training program in March in conjunction with San Diego State University in California.

The program will be offered March 17-19 through the school’s College of Arts and Letters.

The WISH List is a political action committee dedicated to electing Republican women who support abortion rights. For more information, visit https://www.thewishlist.org.

Josh Kurtz contributed to this report.

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