Is there a problem in the House of Arnold? The Governator's Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director, Adam Mendelsohn, has defected -- joining another former Arnold strategist -- for a PR firm.

For our PR readers who claim we don't cover them enough:

Schwarzenegger Communications Director Adam Mendelsohn Joins Steve Schmidt in Fast-Growing California Operation of Mercury Public Affairs

SACRAMENTO, February 11, 2008 -- Adam Mendelsohn, Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, has joined Mercury Public Affairs as Managing Director. According to the Associated Press, "Mendelsohn was a key member of the team that helped Schwarzenegger refashion his image." Governor Schwarzenegger's chief of staff, Susan Kennedy, called Mendelsohn "one of the best communications strategists I've ever worked with." Before joining the Schwarzenegger administration, Mr. Mendelsohn worked in Washington, DC as Vice President and Director of Media Relations for the DCI Group where he advised Fortune 50 clients on media strategy, crisis response, and public affairs.

"Adam is one of the best public affairs strategists in the country," said Mercury Managing Partner Kieran Mahoney. "His hiring represents another important step in Mercury's evolution as the premier, bipartisan public affairs consultancy in the United States."

Mendelsohn will join Mercury Partner Steve Schmidt in the Sacramento office. Schmidt, who ran Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign in 2006, is currently a senior advisor to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign. Recognized as one of the top political strategists in the country, Schmidt provides high-level counsel to political candidates, elected officials, and major corporations and organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, Hollywood studios and professional sports teams. Growing Mercury's emerging crisis practice, the firm also recently welcomed Sara Jones to the California operation. An expert in crisis and issues management, Ms. Jones specializes in devising strategy to mitigate complex, high-risk situations, from activist-waged corporate campaigns and government investigations to environmental incidents and health scares.

Mercury Public Affairs specializes in high-value public affairs at the intersection of business, government, politics, and media. Core capabilities include public affairs campaign management, grassroots coalition building and management, public opinion research, advocacy advertising, crisis management and political consulting. In addition, Mercury owns Crosslink Strategy Group, a leading national grassroots consultancy.

Mercury's political division has been involved in winning national, international, state and local political campaigns. Our corporate division provides counsel to some of America's leading companies. Mercury and its operating units have offices nationwide.

Mercury Public Affairs in California includes offices in Sacramento, Orange County and Los Angeles. The team in California specializes in public affairs campaigns, crisis communications and litigation support.