While you were boarding up your windows down the shore and heading for high ground as Sandy approached on Monday, the Washington Post ran a lengthy profile of Comcast’s executive vice president, David Cohen. The piece focuses on the 56-year-old exec’s status in Washington and influence on the growth of the Philly-based cable behemoth slowly occupying every living room in the country.

A critical part of Comcast’s strategy is Cohen, its secret weapon. The father of two would not turn heads outside the Beltway. He drives a Toyota 4Runner and prefers unfussy dark suits and garden-variety wire-rim eyeglasses. But in the rarified circles of Washington, with his vast network of high-powered contacts, Cohen enjoys rock-star status.