From The Road
April 18, 2008 1:56 PM

McCain Has Edge in Finances, Campaign Claims

By
Allison O'Keefe
Topics
John McCain
From CBS News' Allison O'Keefe:


ARLINGTON, VA. -- While Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continue to campaign against each other, John McCain is organizing his general election team. Campaign Manager Rick Davis, along with his top tier staff, met with reporters this morning in Arlington, Virginia.

The campaign occupies a full floor office building which is now labeled floor M. Davis outlined the campaign's 50 state victory financing plan which will include a number of regional finance directors and specific coordination with the Republican National Committee. Davis said that combined with the resources of the RNC, they are currently in a position with $30 million cash on hand and absolutely no debt. They are pleased that they are seemingly at an advantage in organization. "The DNC does not have the ability to make a victory fund" because they are still without a candidate, said Davis.

The meeting announced a national strategy of 11 Regional Campaign Mangers to be deployed to offices in target states. The campaign says they have tripled their communications staff and doubled the speech writing staff, much to the pleasure of chief of staff Mark Salter, to whom most of the speechwriting duties fall. Davis said that the campaign will go down in history books as the candidate who achieved the nomination with the least amount of money spent. When they clinched the nomination, they had fewer than one hundred paid staffers. The campaign is now up to at least 150 paid staff and consultants.

The campaign handed out maps with rough electoral counts as to how the election might go if they were running against either Clinton or Obama. Senior Advisor Charlie Black told reporters that they have laid out a structure for the general election that prepares them for either Democratic candidate. "We have no preference," said Black. "I am not sure one is easier than the other. We can win either one."

The campaign said they were not worried about McCain's age as he gears up for a general election fight, despite Congressman Jack Murtha's comments recently that "it's no old man's job." Salter asked reporters to compare McCain's schedule to that of Obama's, saying that depending on the day, McCain has more events. "And Obama appears exhausted by his schedule," said Salter.

Next week, McCain begins his "It's Time for Action Tour." The trip begins in Alabama on Monday and will head to Kentucky, New Orleans, and Arkansas.


Michelle Levi contributed to this report.

Add a Comment
by blackspirit3 April 21, 2008 11:48 AM EDT
40 YEARS OF CLINTON RAPPING WOMEN

A 1969 charge by a Eileen Wellstone, said Clinton assaulted her after she met him at a pub near the Oxford University campus where the future President was a student.
In 1972, a 22-year-old woman told campus police at Yale University that she was sexually assaulted by Clinton, who was a law student at the college.
In 1974, a female student at the University of Arkansas complained that then-law professor Bill Clinton groped her and forced his hand inside her blouse
Broaddrick, a volunteer in Clinton''s attorney general campaign, said he raped her in 1978;
From 1978-1980, Arkansas State troopers assigned to protect the governor reported seven complaints from women who said Clinton forced, or attempted to force, himself on them sexually.
Elizabeth Ward, the Miss Arkansas who won the Miss America crown in 1982, told friends she was forced by Clinton to have *** with him shortly after she won her state crown.
Paula Corbin, an Arkansas state worker, filed a sexual harassment case against Clinton the then-governor exposed himself and demanded oral ***.
Sandra Allen James, President Clinton invited her to his hotel room during a political trip to the nation''s capital in 1991, pinned her against the wall and stuck his hand up her dress.
Kathleen Willey, a White House volunteer, reported that Clinton grabbed her, fondled her breast and pressed her hand against his genitals during an Oval Office meeting in November, 1993.
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by b-easy63 April 20, 2008 4:41 PM EDT
Hillary Clinton supporters should be ecstatic now that the leader of the "Vast right wing conspiracy" has come out in such strong support of Hillary. The about face was done, because after meeting with her, interviewing her and watching her campaign, the Far right realized something that many feminists and Democrats do not:

Those Dems may support HRC because she is Clinton''''s wife or because she is a girl--but the "Vast Right wing conspiracy" now supports her because of what they have come to find out she is--and that she was really, and will always remain THEIR girl.

Dems...always the last to know they are being played. Take a good look at Hillary''''s campaign--if it was not for the fact of her supporter''''s rabid adoration of her--they''''d view her remarks, tactics, antics, connections and lies as disgusting.

but what does it matter--if she was really a Republican (and she always was) it would be par for the course.

HRC--Manchurian candidate for the "Vast right wing conspiracy" bringin'''' it home.

Reply to this comment
by giantrobot2 April 20, 2008 11:01 AM EDT
*** BREAKING NEWS ***

The alliance between McCain and Huckabee is growing stronger. News reports indicate John McCain''s family is related to Mike Huckabee''s family.

Mike Huckabee''s wife, Janet Huckabee''s maiden name is also McCain. The alliance formed long before the primary debates began last year.

Both men were constantly complimenting each other during the debates while pressuring Romney out of the race. The strategy worked and now these two men are on their way to the White House.

President John McCain and Vice President Mike Huckabee are posed to create real positive change for America. A war vetern to crush the terrorist camp once and for all and a pro-family / pro-life vetern to bring the American family up to higher ground.

And with McCain''s straight talk express to eliminate pork barrel spending and Huckabee''s ten year experience as one of America''s best Governor brings fresh outlook on the financial markets.

Watch the strong family alliance between the two men become more evident in the upcoming months.


Reply to this comment
by abbe91 April 19, 2008 5:14 PM EDT
"I think relationships with anti-american groups and terrorist should be questioned until it is answered, not avoided and evaded like what Obama is doing.

Posted by obama8years at 11:05 AM : Apr 19, 2008"

I fully agree with you. Please review this important document about anti-american individuals

http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/declassified_fernando_interview_1_24_1970.pdf
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by obama8years April 19, 2008 2:05 PM EDT
After 22 Debates , I think America has a pretty good Idea what Obama is going to do about the war in Iraq, Economy and illegal immigration. What we dont know is Obama character and associations, he seems to dodge those questions. For once Obama is asked legitimate questions and the left radicals think its not fair or appropriate. This is the President Of The United States were talking about. I think relationships with anti-american groups and terrorist should be questioned until it is answered, not avoided and evaded like what Obama is doing.
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by catpurrson April 19, 2008 1:04 AM EDT
Somebody didn''t do any math on this. McCain''s campaign says that "combined" with funds from the RNC they have $30 million. Obama has been raising that amount EACH MONTH. I don''t think that McCain has -- or will have -- more money than the Dem nominee. No way.
Reply to this comment
by memekiller April 18, 2008 8:48 PM EDT
It''s a fact that McCain is in violation of campaign laws now that he has chosen to opt out of the matching funds he used as collatoral to get taxpayers to payoff his campaign debt back when it looked like he would lose. It is also a fact that there will never, ever be any accountability for a Republican in the Conservative Bubble of DC.

To date, I have read more stories pushing Obama on whether he would take matching funds than about the fact that McCain is going to break the law in order to opt out.

Let''s say it weren''t true, like, say, Obama''s Muslim past, or his need to denounce any black man with un-PC politics as if they were on his payroll, like McCain''s Florida chair who got busted soliciting *** acts in public restrooms. Not being true has never stopped the press before when it comes to making mountains out of gaffes. More people know about Rezko than the fact that about 10% of the Republican Party is either in jail or under investigation.
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