Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Tough Sell
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1975
WEBSITE: https://www.tombasile.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1975; married Carrie; children: three.
EDUCATION:Hofstra University, bachelor’s degree; attended Georgetown University; Fordham University, J.D.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Communications executive and educator. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, director of communications, 2001-03; Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad, Iraq, senior press adviser, 2003-04; Empire Solutions, principal, 2004-; Middleberg Communications, New York, NY, managing director, 2006-13.
Fordham University, New York, NY, adjunct professor, 2008-; opinion contributor to Forbes and SiriusXM Radio; press secretary of Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, 2004-05; councilman, then deputy town supervisor, of Stony Point, NY, 2014-; executive director of NY State Republican Party, 2009-11; member of advisory board of Hofstra University.
MEMBER:National Italian-American Foundation (member of leadership council), New York Bar Association.
AWARDS:Joint Civilian Service Commendation Medal, Department of Defense; Young Alumnus Award, Hofstra University, 2007; Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, 2008.
POLITICS: Republican.WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Tom Basile is a communications executive and educator and is an active member of the Republican Party. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University and went on to study at Georgetown University and Fordham University, where he earned a J.D. Basile worked as an attorney for a time, becoming a member of the state bar of New York. However, he soon shifted his focus to communications and journalism. Basile was chosen to head up the communications department of the Environmental Protection Agency during the George W. Bush administration. He went on to serve as the senior press adviser for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad at the beginning of the Iraq War. After returning to the United States, Basile was awarded the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Medal by the Department of Defense. In 2007, he joined Middleberg Communications as its managing director. Later, Basile became an adjunct professor at Fordham University. He was the New York State Republican Party’s executive director from 2009 to 2011. Basile has also been involved in the government of Stony Point, NY, serving as a councilman and, later, as the deputy town supervisor. He has contributed to the opinion sections of Forbes and SiriusXM Radio.
In 2017, Basile released his first book, Tough Sell: Fighting the Media War in Iraq, in which he recounts his time as the senior press adviser for the Coalition Provisional Authority. He also defends the George W. Bush administration’s decision to send troops to the country in the first place. Basile shares the mission of the Coalition Provisional Authority, which he claims was harmed by the perceptions of the invasion created by the media. He blames the media for portraying the war in a bad light, suggesting that it has caused terrorist groups to become stronger. Basile also criticizes Barack Obama’s handling of the conflict.
Referring to Basile, a Kirkus Reviews critic suggested: “His personal account of his experiences reporting the war is gripping.” The same critic described Tough Sell as “an engrossing account of the author’s own experiences written to justify questionable foreign policy that many readers will question.” Similarly, Benjamin Welton, contributor to the Foreword Reviews website, commented: “Basile’s politics are sure to turn off some readers. That being said, Tough Sell provides not only an excellent discussion about the nature of media during wartime, but also information about the war that is often ignored.” Welton described the book as an “excellent addition” to the group of books on the subject of the Iraq War.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2017, review of Tough Sell: Fighting the Media War in Iraq.
ONLINE
Forbes Online, https://www.forbes.com/ (February 13, 2018), author profile..
Foreword Reviews Online, https://www.forewordreviews.com/ (May-June, 2017), Benjamin Welton, review of Tough Sell.
New York Daily News Online, http://www.nydailynews.com/ (June 24, 2011), Celeste Katz, article about author.
Tom Basile Website, https://www.tombasile.com/ (February 13, 2018).
From Wall Street to Baghdad to Washington and beyond, Tom Basile has been in the middle of the action on the biggest stories and hottest issues of the last decade. Through his work with Presidents, Popes, for-profit and non-profit entities and in challenging environments from Iraq to South Asia, Basile’s unique experience has made him a trusted, senior-level brand management strategist.
An Opinion Contributor to Forbes and SiriusXM Radio, his insights into the national political scene, public policy and foreign affairs have made him a sought-after lecturer and contributor in the media. In 2011, he was featured as part of Time Magazine’s Person of the Year spread about citizen engagement around the world. Basile is an adjunct professor at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences where he teaches earned media strategy.
For more than 20 years he has provided strategic and crisis communications counsel to companies, policy organizations, government agencies, non-profits, advocacy campaigns and grassroots groups. From crafting effective messaging and content development to developing effective on-the-ground operations and managing crises in the media, Basile’s work has ensured his clients get noticed by customers, opinion leaders, policymakers and the press. His record of results has ensured the brand growth and development of organizations big and small. Basile’s strategies and hand-on approach have garnered international attention in the world’s most influential media outlets.
His book, Tough Sell: Fighting the Media War in Iraq (Potomac), gives readers his personal account of the Iraq mission during the critical first year after the fall of Saddam Hussein and the daily battle to communicate about the war to an American media and public increasingly opposed to the mission.
In 2013, Basile was elected Councilman for the historic Town of Stony Point, New York a suburb of New York City where he today also serves as Deputy Town Supervisor. As Councilman he is using pro-growth, fiscally-conservative policies to attract millions of dollars in investment capital for the Hudson River town.
From 2009-2011 he served as Executive Director of the New York State Republican Party. During his time as Executive Director, the GOP erased several cycles of losses at the local and county levels of government, recaptured its majority in the NYS State Senate and won more Congressional seats for the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives than any other state in the nation.
In 2007 PR Industry veteran Don Middleberg tapped Basile to serve as Managing Director of Middleberg Communications where he provided a range of counsel to companies in the consumer products, tech, environmental and legal sectors as well as businesses wishing to communicate about CSR programs.
In 2008, Basile represented the office of the US Chief of Protocol to the Vatican Delegation during the visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to New York. In 2005, he served as a lead planner for the Department of State of the historic visit of former Presidents Bush and Clinton to the tsunami-ravaged areas of South Asia.
In March, 2004, Basile returned from seven months in Baghdad, Iraq where he served at the request of the White House as a Senior Press Advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority. While in Iraq, he was a spokesperson and strategist for the Coalition’s media operations. He was awarded the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Medal from the Department of Defense for his work with the Coalition.
Basile is also a former Director of Communications for the US Environmental Protection Agency in Washington where he managed the EPA Administrator’s public liaison operation and developed stakeholder outreach initiatives for a variety of environmental issues.
During the Bush Presidency, he was often called upon by the White House to help plan significant meetings and events for President Bush including the memorial service for the Space Shuttle Columbia Astronauts in Houston, the President’s 2002 meeting with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, activities surrounding the 57th United Nation’s General Assembly and Bush’s visit to the Nazi concentration camps outside Krakow, Poland.
After serving as a consultant to the Republican National Committee during the 2004 Presidential election, he was named Press Secretary to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. In this role he supervised the media and public affairs operation for the 2005 Presidential Inauguration. He is one of a small group of Americans who has helped manage Presidential Inaugurations representing both the President and the Congress.
In 1997, he was named to the National Italian-American Foundation’s 100 Stars List of prominent young Italian-Americans. In 2008 he was invested into the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. In 2010 Basile was named to The Capitol Newspaper’s 40 Under 40 list of New York political influencers. Basile sits on the Advisory Board of the Hofstra University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs. He is also a member of the Leadership Council of the National Italian-American Foundation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Hofstra University which honored him with its Young Alumnus Award in 2007.
He received his Juris Doctorate attending Fordham and Georgetown University Schools of Law and is a member of the New York Bar. He and his wife Carrie have three young children and a golden retriever.
https://www.tombasile.com/
I have been a part of the American political landscape at every level from Presidential campaigns to local politics. I had the privilege to serve in the Bush Administration, as Executive Director of the NYS Republican Party, an advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, and in a range of senior-level strategic communications roles in and out of government. My bestselling book, Tough Sell: Fighting the Media War in Iraq chronicles my time in Baghdad fighting media bias and trying to drive fairer coverage of the war. In 2011, I was featured in Time Magazine's Person of the Year spread about activism around the world. I am an adjunct professor at Fordham University, a local elected official in outside New York City and run a growth strategies firm based in Manhattan. I'm a recovering lawyer but still a member of the New York Bar and sit on the Advisory Boards of the Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International affairs and the Hofstra University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Bestselling author, columnist, speaker and commentator Tom Basile has been in the middle of the action on the biggest stories and hottest issues of the last decade. Through his work with Presidents, Popes, for-profit and non-profit entities and in challenging environments from Iraq to South Asia, Basile’s unique experience has made him a trusted, senior-level brand management strategist.
For more than 20 years he has provided strategic and crisis communications counsel to companies, policy organizations, government agencies, non-profits, advocacy campaigns and grassroots groups. From crafting effective messaging and content development to developing effective on-the-ground operations and managing crises in the media, Basile’s work has ensured his clients get noticed by customers, opinion leaders, policymakers and the press. His record of results has ensured the brand growth and development of organizations big and small. Basile’s strategies and hand-on approach have garnered international attention in the world’s most influential media outlets.
Host of Sunday in America on SiriusXM Radio and an Opinion Contributor to Forbes, his insights into the national political scene, public policy and foreign affairs have made him a sought-after lecturer and contributor in the media. In 2011, he was one of only two American conservatives featured as part of Time Magazine’s Person of the Year spread about citizen engagement around the world. Basile is an adjunct professor at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences where he teaches earned media strategy.
His Bestselling book, Tough Sell: Fighting the Media War in Iraq (Potomac, 2017), gives readers his personal account of the Iraq mission during the critical first year after the fall of Saddam Hussein and the daily battle to communicate about the war to an American public increasingly opposed to the mission. The book earned a foreword by Ambassador John R. Bolton.
In 2013, Basile was elected Councilman for the historic Town of Stony Point, New York a suburb of New York City where he today also serves as Deputy Town Supervisor. As Councilman he is using pro-growth, fiscally-conservative policies to attract millions of dollars in investment capital for the Hudson River town.
From 2009-2011 he served as Executive Director of the New York State Republican Party. During his time as Executive Director, the GOP erased several cycles of losses at the local and county levels of government, recaptured its majority in the NYS State Senate and won more Congressional seats for the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives than any other state in the nation.
In 2007 PR Industry veteran Don Middleberg tapped Basile to serve as Managing Director of Middleberg Communications where he provided a range of counsel to companies in the consumer products, tech, environmental and legal sectors as well as businesses wishing to communicate about CSR programs.
In 2008, Basile represented the office of the US Chief of Protocol to the Vatican Delegation during the visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to New York. In 2005, he served as a lead planner for the Department of State of the historic visit of former Presidents Bush and Clinton to the tsunami-ravaged areas of South Asia.
In March, 2004, Basile returned from seven months in Baghdad, Iraq where he served at the request of the White House as a Senior Press Advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority. While in Iraq, he was a spokesperson and strategist for the Coalition’s media operations. He was awarded the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Medal from the Department of Defense for his work with the Coalition.
Basile is also a former Director of Communications for the US Environmental Protection Agency in Washington where he managed the EPA Administrator’s public liaison operation and developed stakeholder outreach initiatives for a variety of environmental issues.
During the Bush Presidency, he was often called upon by the White House to help plan significant meetings and events for President Bush including the memorial service for the Space Shuttle Columbia Astronauts in Houston, the President’s 2002 meeting with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, activities surrounding the 57th United Nation’s General Assembly and Bush’s visit to the Nazi concentration camps outside Krakow, Poland.
After serving as a consultant to the Republican National Committee during the 2004 Presidential election, he was named Press Secretary to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. In this role he supervised the media and public affairs operation for the 2005 Presidential Inauguration. He is one of a small group of Americans who has helped manage Presidential Inaugurations representing both the President and the Congress.
In 1997, he was named to the National Italian-American Foundation’s 100 Stars List of prominent young Italian-Americans. In 2008 he was invested into the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. In 2010 Basile was named to The Capitol Newspaper’s 40 Under 40 list of New York political influencers. Basile sits on the Advisory Board of the Hofstra University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Hofstra University which honored him with its Young Alumnus Award in 2007.
He received his Juris Doctorate attending Fordham and Georgetown University Schools of Law and is a member of the New York Bar. He and his wife Carrie have three young children and a golden retriever named Brooke.
SPEAKING APPEARANCES
Tom Basile has developed a reputation as a powerful speaker that can bring to audiences his experience on the front lines of government, politics and business with passion and credibility. He has spoken at major universities, political, corporate and non-profit functions across the United States.
Tom takes audiences on a journey to explore the outer limits of their own potential while discussing his insider perspective on topics including National Leadership, Protecting Freedom, Iraq and Fighting the War on Terror, Effective Communications and his latest commentary on the National Political Scene. He motivates, provides informed analysis and inspires groups of all ages to participate in our great national conversation. Regardless of the topic, Tom's goal is always to encourage others to take an active role in making their homes, communities, businesses and nation the best they can be.
Sample Speech Topics
The Power of the Individual and the New American Century
Iraq - The Critical First 12 Months - A View from the Inside
The Bush Years Behind the Scenes - Moments that Defined a President
A Call for a New Culture of Service Above Self
The Tough Sell - Policy Development in the Age of Mass Communication
Back to Basics - Our Founders' Blueprint for a Stronger America
Effective Messaging for More Powerful Brands
Communication Strategy Development and the New Media
Effective Speech-writing and Speechmaking
Fees
Speaking fees vary based on the type of event, location and other factors. For information about scheduling a speaking appearance and fees, please contact Info@tombasile.com or call 1-855-999-1901.
RADIO AND TELEVISION
Tom Basile has established a reputation as a credible source on a wide range of issues. His media credentials include most major US television networks, major newspapers, digital media organizations, political blogs and foreign news sources. He is also a frequent guest on local, regional and nationally-syndicated radio programs.
Book an Interview
To book an interview, call 1-855-999-1901 or email Info@tombasile.com. Someone will respond to the inquiry immediately.
Frequent Topics
Current Events and Breaking News
National Political Scene
US Foreign Policy
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
War on Terrorism
Conservative Movement
Fiscally Conservative Policies and Economic Policy
Republican Party Politics
New York State Politics and Policy
National Political Scene - General
Energy and Environmental Policy
NYSGOP E.D. Tom Basile Resigning July 31
BY CELESTE KATZ THE DAILY POLITICS Friday, June 24, 2011, 4:42 PM A A A
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Tom Basile's on his way out. The executive director of the state Republican Party has put in his resignation, effective July 31.
basile portrait 6-24-2011 4-17-46 PM.jpgYou can read his full letter below, but Basile writes, in part, "I wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for all the support, counsel and assistance you have provided me since I became Executive Director – and even before, during the run-up to the Chairman’s election in 2009. Your experience and advice have been invaluable as we worked to rebuild this institution and promote the policies we know will make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family. I’ve done my best to be accessible and responsive to your needs and concerns."
My very first print column for the Daily News back in November was about whether Basile, party chairman Ed Cox (or both) might be hitting the bricks.
The column began: "One of the biggest guessing games in New York politics is whether state Republican Chairman Ed Cox fires his top aide - and if that will be enough for him to keep control of the party.
"The Carl Paladino debacle aside, Cox and Executive Director Thomas Basile had two really strong opportunities to grab statewide office with attorney general candidate Dan Donovan and controller wanna-be Harry Wilson. Plenty of insiders feel what the party did to help the two was about as effective as spitting on a house fire."
Cox, of course, probably didn't get any extra GOP valentines for pushing Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, then a registered Democrat, to switch parties and jump into the Republican primary for governor against Paladino and party pick Rick Lazio. Many times, sources insisted to me that Basile would leave before Cox, no matter what.
It's not clear what comes next for Basile, who is engaged, but a source says immediately after he hangs up his ED hat, he'll return to consulting with his firm, Empire Solutions, and continue to teach political communications at Fordham University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
QUOTED: "His personal account of his experiences reporting the war is gripping."
"an engrossing account of the author's own experiences written to justify questionable foreign policy that many readers will question."
Basile, Tom: TOUGH SELL
(Apr. 1, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Basile, Tom TOUGH SELL Potomac Books (Adult Nonfiction) $32.95 5, 1 ISBN: 978-1-61234-900-8
A controversial defense of the 2003 military intervention in Iraq that overthrew the regime of Saddam Hussein.Basile--a Forbes opinion contributor, faculty member of Fordham University, and principal of the New York-based strategic communications firm Empire Solutions--combines a vivid account of his on-the-ground experience in Iraq as senior press adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority from 2003 to 2004 with an exploration of the political issues that were involved in the Bush administration's decision to remove Hussein from power. "The coalition wasn't merely engaged in a fight to build a more participatory society against incredible odds," he writes. "It was also in a constant clash with forces that affected public perception about the mission." The author contends that the need to shape public opinion is one of the most important lessons to be learned from the Iraq mission. Although the ostensible justification of the military intervention--the claim that Hussein had acquired weapons of mass destruction and the existence of a link between his regime and al-Qaida--proved to be false, Basile believes that the war was justified, a wake-up call that alerted us to the danger posed by terrorist groups. However, as the author writes, the "failure to win the media and communications war in Iraq" has left the U.S. more vulnerable "against ISIS and its affiliates." The merits of the author's argument are debatable, but his personal account of his experiences reporting the war is gripping. The author rightly points out that confidence in government and media reporting are near all-time lows, creating "a toxic blend that leads to the erosion of citizen-controlled government in the United States." Basile faults President Barack Obama for downplaying the role of Islamic terrorism and failing to make "the tough sell" needed to maintain a foreign policy that would guarantee "our ability to lead on the world stage." An engrossing account of the author's own experiences written to justify questionable foreign policy that many readers will question.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Basile, Tom: TOUGH SELL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A487668478/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8bb5be7d. Accessed 10 Jan. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A487668478
QUOTED: "Basile’s politics are sure to turn off some readers. That being said, Tough Sell provides not only an excellent discussion about the nature of media during wartime, but also information about the war that is often ignored."
"excellent addition"
TOUGH SELL
FIGHTING THE MEDIA WAR IN IRAQ
Tom Basile
John R. Bolton (Contributor)
Potomac Books (May 1, 2017)
Hardcover $32.95 (320pp)
978-1-61234-900-8
This book masterfully blends military history with politics and media studies.
Tom Basile’s Tough Sell is an ode to the many men and women who worked for the Coalition Provisional Authority during the early days of the Iraq War. The book also offers a critique of media and of the ways the George W. Bush administration failed to communicate its positions.
Throughout Tough Sell, Basile consistently portrays himself as an American everyman—a New Yorker and a Catholic. However, Basile also reminds readers of his exceptional position. From attending a meeting of the Economic Club (which Basile underplays as “one of the oldest and most venerable institutions for the wealthy and successful”) to discussing his previous position as a member of the EPA, Basile is clearly a Washington insider.
However privileged Basile may have been, his heartbreak and frustration come through clearly. Tough Sell chronicles the heady days between the spring of 2003 and the winter of 2004, when Baghdad’s Green Zone became dangerous and the mission to rebuild Iraq went sideways. Basile, along with his fellow civilians ensconced in Baghdad, routinely faced mortar and rocket attacks and kidnapping threats.
From Basile’s perspective, the threat posed by American media was even worse. Tough Sell is replete with unflattering portrayals of media figures and networks. In Basile’s rendering, most journalists either couldn’t be bothered to leave Baghdad or refused to believe any story that did not conform to their political (see: liberal, antiwar) worldviews.
It is important to recognize that Basile was a true believer—a man who supported Bush, the Iraq War, and “furthering democratic reforms” in order to bridge the “freedom deficiency” in the Middle East.
Basile’s politics are sure to turn off some readers. That being said, Tough Sell provides not only an excellent discussion about the nature of media during wartime, but also information about the war that is often ignored. The building of new schools, an active press, infrastructure, a pluralistic government, and a thriving private economy that dwarfed the Saddam-era equivalent were all accomplished by the CPA in 2003.
Tough Sell is an excellent addition to the growing corpus of literature on the Iraq War. This book masterfully blends military history with politics and media studies, thus representing the truly multifaceted nature of warfare in the twenty-first century.
Reviewed by Benjamin Welton
May/June 2017