HUTCHINSON, FORMER AIDE REUNITE AT DEA

WASHINGTON Former Arkansas congressional aide and reporter Christopher
Battle is back in Washington working for Asa Hutchinson. Battle, 33,
started Monday as the communications director at the Drug Enforcement
Administration.

Hutchinson created the slot for Battle, his former deputy chief of staff
and press secretary when he served in Congress as the House representative
from Fort Smith. a oeI learned a lot under Asa Hutchinson when he was in
Congress and am excited about being back on board,a Battle said.

Battle will supervise a staff of 22 in a restructured communicationa TMs
shop at the DEA. The office will oversee media relations, speech writing,
Internet communication graphics, and broadcasts.

A native of Georgia, Battle moved to Arkansas in 1996 where he worked as
political reporter for the Northwest Arkansas Times. He left journalism a
year later to work for Hutchinson in his congressional office. In August of
2000, Battle went back to the Northwest Arkansas Times to head up the
editorial page. He then moved to Little Rock in November to write columns
for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.