Lee Greif – Political Careers And Peter Peyser
Lee Greif has engaged in many different careers throughout his life, none of which he recalls more fondly than his five year stint in politics. Although they were tumultuous and filled with some heavy tension, the early 1970s were an amazing time to be in the political arena and Greif is extremely appreciative that he could be a part of it. He was first hired in 1971 by Peter Peyser. Peyser was a congressman of New York who had recently won the election in New York’s congress race. Peyser chose Greif to be his chief of staff. This was a decision that he would not go on to regret as Grief would later go on to run two successful campaigns for his reelection.
Grief had a way of taking a difficult goal and achieving it, not matter what. His bosses took note of that, assigning him some very high-profile tasks that only bettered his reputation. It wasn’t just his talent or work ethic that often helped him. He had connections. Among them was Peter Peyser, a notable political player as well. The Republican congressman, who served Westchester County, a suburb of New York, had strong ties to Nelson Rockefeller, both professionally and personally. They were friends, but they also combined forces to craft some important public policies. Through his relationship with Peyser, Grief used the Rockefeller connection to open some doors.
Serving as chief of staff during the early 1970s meant there was a lot going on at the time that Lee Greif could be a part of. One such event that he is particularly proud of was the dinner party held at the Whitehouse with President Nixon that he and three other congressman and their chiefs of staff took part in. Besides this were the many political briefings with Secretaries Of State and Secretaries Of Defense. Having worked during such a period of political conflict, he often had to defend some unpopular policies, especially since he served a Democrat during the war in Vietnam and a Republican during the Watergate scandal. There were two times specifically where he recalls having to defend some very unpopular policies put forth by his bosses and the president.
Lee Grief first met Randee, the woman who would become his first wife, while he was working as a Chief of Staff in Washington, DC in the early 1970s. At the time, she was also working as a chief of staff, for Missouri senator Thomas Eagleton. Lee, Randee, and Senator Eagleton all became very good friends; the couple thought he was a wonderful person and often spent time with him. Further, since Eagleton was a hard-working public figure, his political support was invaluable to Lee’s career. He came to be a role model and enormous inspirational force in Lee’s life. Eagleton even, later in his career, ran for Vice President under George McGovern. Grief’s five years working for Peter Peyser in Washington would prove to be a time crucial to his career, and one he remembered very happily later in life. The experience he gained in that time proved to be invaluable as his career progressed.