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McCain Orders Shake-Up of His Campaign
By Adam Nagourney
New York Times
July 3, 2008
WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign has
gone through its second shake-up in a year. Responding to
Republican concerns that his candidacy was faltering, Mr. McCain
put a veteran of President Bush’s 2004 campaign in charge of
day-to-day operations, and stepped away from a plan to have the
campaign run by 11 regional managers, Mr. McCain’s aides said
Wednesday. The elevation of Steve Schmidt — who worked closely
with Karl Rove — at Mr. McCain’s headquarters represented a
sharp diminishment of the responsibilities of Rick Davis, who
has been Mr. McCain’s campaign manager since the last shake-up
nearly a year ago...
McCain Puts New Strategist Atop Campaign
By Dan Balz and Michael D. Shear
Washington Post
Thursday, July 3, 2008; A01
Facing growing dissatisfaction both inside and outside his
campaign, Sen. John McCain ordered a shake-up of his team
yesterday, reducing the role of campaign manager Rick Davis and
vesting political adviser Steve Schmidt with "full operational
control" of his bid for the presidency. Schmidt becomes the
third political operative in the past year to take on the task
of attempting to guide McCain to the White House. A veteran of
President Bush's political operation, Schmidt will be in charge
of finding a more effective message in the Arizona Republican's
race against Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who leads in most
polls...
McCain shakes up staff for campaign stability
Veteran strategist Schmidt to guide operations
By Stephen Dinan and Ralph Z. Hallow
Washington Times
July 3, 2008
Republican presidential candidate John McCain tweaked his
campaign Wednesday by elevating aide Steve Schmidt to oversee
day-to-day operations, in a move to give his presidential bid
the stability and direction that many in his party feared were
lacking. It was the second overhaul Mr. McCain has made in less
than a year, and was announced as he was traveling in Colombia
and Mexico. Veteran Republican campaign operatives said the move
gives the senator from Arizona a strong central presence in his
Arlington headquarters that was missing under the campaign's
unorthodox regional structure...
McCain again shuffles top campaign aides
For some in the GOP who fear he's wasted precious time, the move
comes none too soon. Steve Schmidt will head day-to-day
operations.
By Maeve Reston and Mark Z. Barabak
Los Angeles Times
July 3, 2008
John McCain's decision to shuffle his top advisors for the
second time in a year follows months of anxiety among
Republicans who fear that his presidential campaign lacks the
money, discipline and message to beat Democrat Barack Obama. The
question Wednesday was whether the move -- elevating senior
strategist Steve Schmidt to head day-to-day operations and
shifting campaign manager Rick Davis to a lesser role -- came
soon enough...
Schmidt takes control of day-to-day operation
By Jonathan Martin
The Politico
July 2, 2008 10:22 AM
Steve Schmidt is taking over the day-to-day operation of John
McCain’s campaign, according to multiple campaign sources. At a
staff meeting in the campaign's Arlington, Va., headquarters
this morning, campaign manager Rick Davis made the announcement
about Schmidt's new role...
John McCain advisor likes running a tight ship
Steve Schmidt joins the campaign as the protege of former White
House aide Karl Rove. The Republican operative is known for his
tough talk and pragmatism -- and getting Arnold Schwarzenegger
reelected
By Michael Finnegan
Los Angeles Times
July 3, 2008
Steve Schmidt, the hard-bitten operative who on Wednesday took
control of John McCain's campaign, was put in charge of Arnold
Schwarzenegger's political organization after the governor's
stinging ballot defeats in 2005. Then, like now, Schmidt's task
was to impose strict discipline on a muddled campaign operation.
The bald and tough-talking consultant has never run a
presidential campaign. But Schmidt, 37, played a senior role in
President Bush's 2004 reelection campaign. And many who know him
see his brand of methodical and hard-hitting campaign management
as just what McCain needs...
Dennehy May Reprise Nat'l Pol Dir. Role For McCain (UPDATED)
By Marc Ambinder
The Atlantic Blog
July 2, 2008
Mike Dennehy, a longtime McCain adviser who served as the
campaign's first national political director, may return to the
position later this month, two Republican sources said. (A
previous version of the post said that Dennehy "will" return;
i'm softening that verb a bit as nothing has been finalized.)...
Behind The Scenes Of The McCain Campaign, Version 2.5
By Marc Ambinder
The Atlantic Blog
July 3, 2008 6:47 AM
For the next 19th weeks, newly promoted McCain adviser Steve
Schmidt has a motto to match his expanded portfolio. "Perfection
is our goal," he said to members of McCain's staff yesterday
morning. "It will never be obtained, but excellence is our
standard and it will be reached every day." Schmidt, according
to a McCain adviser, brings "clear-thinking" to an underdog
campaign. Schmidt "has no illusions about where we stand, what
the state of the party is, and what the climate of the election
cycle is," the adviser said...
The Sergeant has been promoted.
By Jonathan Martin and Mike Allen
The Politico
July 3, 2008 8:48 AM EST
Whenever Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) needed an answer to a
political question during long days on buses and planes with
reporters during the GOP primary, he would turn to a linebacker
of a campaign adviser. “Sergeant Schmidt?” McCain would ask with
an impish grin, turning to the cueball-headed, barrel-chested
Steve Schmidt for input...
More on the Schmidt-Davis news
By Chuck Todd and Matthew E. Berger
First Read / MSNBC
Wednesday, July 2, 2008 1:57 PM
For now, it's tough to truly call the elevation of Steve Schmidt
to day-to-day manager of the McCain campaign a full-fledged
shakeup. Schmidt had shared responsibility for the message of
the campaign with Charlie Black, Rick Davis, and Mark Salter for
some time. But the shifts in responsibility could be a precursor
to a real shakeup -- and that would be the addition of one-time
McCain campaign strategist Mike Murphy, who helped oversee
McCain's near upset of Bush in 2000...
The McCain Campaign Aftershock
By Marc Ambinder
The Atlantic Blog
July 2, 2008
Steve Schmidt takes control of John McCain's scheduling and
messaging operations. Was this a shake-up? A natural evolution?
A scaling up? Try a combination of the three...
Peripatetic McCain takes campaign abroad
Credits travels with shaping his worldview
By Sasha Issenberg
Boston Globe
July 3, 2008
CARTAGENA, Colombia - John McCain replaced his old JetBlue
Embraer 170 with a new plane this week - recognizable by the
candidate's name on its white body, alongside enough empty space
for a "Crist" or maybe even a tightly kerned "Huckabee" - so
that he could redesign its interior to emulate the setup of his
"Straight Talk Express" bus. The new Boeing 737 has one other
crucial advantage as McCain works to customize his candidacy: It
made Tuesday's trip from Indianapolis to Cartagena, Colombia,
without a stop to refuel...
Hostage Rescue Is Happy Coincidence for McCain in Colombia
By Elisabeth Bumiller
New York Times
July 3, 2008
MEXICO CITY—Senator John McCain congratulated President Alvaro
Uribe of Colombia on Wednesday for the Colombian government’s
rescue of 15 hostages, including three Americans, held by the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a
Marxist-inspired insurgency that Mr. McCain repeatedly
criticized this week during a trip to Latin America. “This is
great news,” Mr. McCain told reporters on his campaign plane
enroute to Mexico City from Cartagena, Colombia, after Mr. Uribe
called Mr. McCain in the air to inform him of the success of the
operation. “Thank God they are released”...
McCain works the room, one town hall meeting at a time
Supporters say the freewheeling sessions showcase the Arizona
senator as a straight-talking candidate who is an expert on
policy issues. Others are not so sure.
By Bob Drogin
Los Angeles Times
July 3, 2008
CINCINNATI — When John McCain campaigned here last week, he
relied on his signature event, an unscripted town hall meeting,
to sway undecided voters in this crucial swing state. The
presumed Republican presidential nominee paced with a microphone
at Xavier University, taking questions about energy, the economy
and other issues from 150 people...
GOP to launch TV ad blitz against Obama
By Mark Murray
First Read / MSNBC
Wednesday, July 2, 2008 3:48 PM
Beginning this weekend, the Republican National Committee will
launch a $3 million advertising blitz against Obama in the
battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and
isconsin. This first ad will be on the topic on energy security,
and it will contrast McCain's and Obama's positions on the
issue. The actual content of the ad, however, has yet to be
released...
Black Conservative Group Rips Obama in New Radio Ads
By Darryl Fears
Washington Post The Trail
July 2, 2008
From the black conservatives who brought you radio ads two years
ago claiming that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a
Republican come the new summer blockbusters: ads calling Sen.
Barack Obama a racist and an elitist. King, of course, was an
independent, not a Republican -- but that didn't stop the
National Black Republican Association (NBRA) from airing their
claim on urban radio...
McCain Health Credit Could Morph Into Tax Hike
ABC
News Political Radar
July 2, 2008 7:20 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and James Gerber Report: Sen. John
McCain's, R-Ariz., health-care plan would replace the existing
tax exclusion for employer-sponsored coverage with a refundable
tax credit for all Americans. The tax change is intended to
create a more equitable system that provides everyone --
including those who do not receive their health coverage from
their employer -- with the same tax advantage. And since it is
refundable, it would provide a cash benefit to those who earn
too little to pay federal income taxes. But if the cost of
health care continues to outpace inflation in the economy at
large, McCain's health credit would morph into a tax hike for
those who currently receive a tax exclusion...
McCain Dogged by Economy Comment
GOP Candidate Heads South to Colombia and Mexico
By Mark Mooney
ABC News
July 2, 2008
Sen. John McCain's comment from last year that he doesn't
understand economics "as well as he should" has dogged him all
the way to South America today during a foreign trip meant to
burnish his standing as a presidential candidate ready to be a
world leader. The Republican senator from Arizona smiled as he
denied he ever dissed his understanding of economics and said he
was "more experienced than my opponent"...
McCain's statements on the economy
By Mark Murray and Lauren Appelbaum
First Read / MSNBC
Wednesday, July 2, 2008 10:41 AM
On ABC this morning, Robin Roberts remarked to McCain: "You have
admitted that you are not exactly the expert when it comes to
the economy and many have said that... " McCain interjected, "I
have not. I have not. Actually, I have not. I said that I am
stronger on national security issues because of all the time I
spent in the military and others. I am very strong on the
economy. I understand it. I have a lot more experience than my
opponent." While McCain has never said that he wasn't an
"expert" on the economy, he has acknowledged that it is a
shortcoming -- which was at the heart of Roberts' question ("not
exactly the expert")...
Christian Conservatives Uniting Behind McCain
By Michael Scherer
Time Swampland
July 2, 2008
At a meeting Tuesday in Denver, about 100 conservative Christian
leaders from around the country agreed to unite behind the
candidacy of John McCain, a politician they have long
distrusted, marking the latest in a string of movements that
bode well for McCain's general election prospects among the
Republican base...
Conservative Activist Details McCain Support
By David Brody
CBN
July 2, 2008
Phil Burress is one of the mover and shakers in the conservative
Evangelical movement. He's one of the key guys in the room when
James Dobson, Tony Perkins and others gather to discuss key
social issues. A month ago, he had this to say about John
McCain: '"We don't like him and he doesn't like us." Well, the
influential Burress who heads the Citizens for Community Values
has changed his tune...
McCain denies altercation
By Adam Aigner-Treworgy
First Read / MSNBC
Wednesday, July 2, 2008 3:53 PM
CARTAGENA, Colombia -- After touring a local Naval hospital, a
shipping port and taking a ride on a drug interdiction fast
boat, McCain took questions before lunch this morning and
responded to a story recently recounted by Sen. Thad Cochran of
Mississippi about an altercation between the presumptive GOP
nominee and an associate of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega
in the 1980's...
McCain denies grabbing foreign official
By Alexander Mooney
CNN
July 2, 2008
John McCain says he never acted inappropriately toward a one
time associate of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega,
contradicting a recent claim made by one of the Arizona
senator's Republican colleagues. Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran
told his hometown newspaper earlier this week that during a 1987
trip to Central America, he personally witnessed McCain grab an
Ortega associate by his shirt collar to lift him out of a
chair...
McCain’s TV biopic, reconsidered
By Jeffrey Ressner and Kenneth P. Vogel
The Politico
July 3, 2008 5:24 AM EST
“I’m voting for McCain ... but I gotta tell ya, I really like
Obama.” So laughs Peter Markle, the director of the 2005 movie
“Faith of My Fathers,” based on John McCain’s best-selling
memoir. Markle, who has voted for Democrats and Republicans,
said he’s choosing the Arizona senator this time around based on
the personal connection the two forged during production of the
movie about the senator’s Vietnam War POW experiences. With all
the attention currently being lavished on Oliver Stone and his
upcoming feature film about President Bush, we thought it might
be interesting to go back a few years to check out the McCain
biopic...
McCain is no maverick
By Dan Payne
Boston Globe
July 3, 2008
DURING the primaries, Barack Obama was said to be the darling of
the news media. Not anymore. While the 2008 John McCain
literally embraced W and courted the Religious Right, many in
the news media believe he's secretly the 2000 McCain, who
campaigned against W and the Religious Right...
LIMBAUGH
Late-Period Limbaugh
By Zev Chafets
New York Times Magazine
July 6, 2008
At one time, Limbaugh did his program from a Midtown Manhattan
skyscraper he dubbed, with tongue-in-cheek grandiosity, the
Excellence in Broadcasting Building. These days, he mostly
broadcasts out of a studio in Palm Beach, Fla., which he calls
the Southern Command, and describes on the air as a “heavily
fortified bunker.” In fact, Limbaugh’s show emanates from a
nondescript office building on a boulevard lined with tall
palms. There isn’t even a security guard in the lobby. The
elevator opens directly onto a pristine anteroom furnished in
corporate glass and leather. An American flag stands in the
corner. Only a small, framed picture of Limbaugh, bearing the
caption “America’s Anchorman,” reveals that this is the
headquarters of one of the country’s most admired and reviled
figures...
ROMNEY
The Case Against Mitt Romney
By Chris Cillizza
Washington Post The Fix
July 3, 2008
On Wednesday, The Fix made the case that former Massachusetts
governor Mitt Romney is an ideal vice presidential pick for John
McCain. Today, the opposite case...
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