INSIDE POLITICS: PEOPLE & ORGANIZATIONS

CAMPAIGN MOVEMENT: Steve Forbes' presidential campaign hired three staffers from John Kasich's Iowa organization after Kasich dropped out of the presidential race last summer. Kasich field coordinator Karen Slifka will do the same job for Forbes, and Kasich field coordinator De Byerly will be Forbes' Iowa field director. Kasich field director Matt Loney will also work with the Forbes Iowa campaign.... Al Gore's daughter, Karenna Gore Schiff, is working on her father's campaign. She isn't paid, but she is leading Gorenet, a network of young professionals designed to increase support for the Gore campaign. The VP has also hired Jud Lounsbury as his Iowa communications director. Lounsbury comes from the Iowa Democratic Party, where he was communications director. Ron Klain has left his post as chief of staff to Gore, but will remain a consultant to the campaign. Gore has also hired Catherine Grunden as deputy campaign manager and director of scheduling and advance, and Eric Eve as state director of New York.... Sen. Robert Byrd (D), who will run for his eighth Senate term in 2000, has hired Herschel "Ned" Rose as his campaign manager and Ben Hardesty as his campaign finance director.

NEW POSITIONS: Scott Harshbarger, former attorney general of Massachusetts and 1998 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has been elected president and CEO of Common Cause. He replaces Ann McBride, who stepped down in May... Diana Banister has been promoted to vice president of the Alexandria, Va.-based Republican political consulting firm Craig Shirley & Associates. Banister, who was previously a senior account executive there, is the firm's first vice president.... College Convention 2000 has hired Robert W. "Buzz" Jacobs as executive director.... Robert Hoopes has joined BSMG Worldwide as a senior managing director in the Wasington, DC, office. He was formerly senior manager of political information for MCIWorldCom.

PARTY LINES: The National Governors' Association chose Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt (R) as its chairman at the association's meeting last week. Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening will be vice chair.... The Democratic Governors' Association elected Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton as chairman and California Gov. Gray Davis as vice chair.... The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has started a new program called "Women Lead 2000" to be headed by U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey. The program will focus on tapping current female Democratic donors and recruiting female donors who were previously uninvolved. The DCCC has also appointed U.S. Rep Ellen Tauscher as head of its business forum.... The Republican National Committee has hired Barbara Comstock away from the House Government Reform Committee to be director of research.