Larry McCarthy

[2] He serves as President of McCarthy, Marcus, Hennings, Ltd., whose clients include American Crossroads and pro-Romney Super PAC Restore Our Future.

[3] He later worked as an aide to John Heinz of Pennsylvania, serving as press secretary in the House of Representatives and political advisor to his successful 1976 Senate campaign.

During this period he assisted winning campaigns for Republican Senators Phil Gramm, Warren Rudman, Dan Quayle, Bob Kasten, Mitch McConnell, Gordon Humphrey and Dave Durenberger, and Governors George Deukmejian and Tom Kean.

Amid the emerging debate over Democratic Presidential nominee Michael Dukakis' use of prison furloughs during his tenure as Governor of Massachusetts, McCarthy and Americans for Bush released a TV advertisement using the story and likeness of convicted murderer and oft-furloughed inmate Willie Horton.

Known as "Weekend Passes", the ad was limited to cable airtime, but was given significant earned media by the networks and other news outlets and became a flashpoint in the campaign.