July 2, 2008
Top McCain Aides Take On New Roles
Politico: Steve Schmidt Will Handle Day-To-Day Operations As Campaign Manager Rick Davis Looks More Long-Term
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Play CBS Video Video McCain Shakes Up Campaign Staff As the 2008 presidential election continues forward, John McCain has chosen to change up his campaign staff. David Mark, Sr. Editor of Politico, weighs in on the changes.
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McCain sources tell Politico that Steve Schmidt, who ran Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's reelection campaign and was a top communications aide in Bush-Cheney '04, will coordinate the campaign's daily pro-McCain and anti-Obama message but also will have an increased role in shaping most every facet of the organization including scheduling, policy, coalitions and surrogates. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
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In-Depth VP Hot Sheet: McCain CBSNews.com ranks the top contenders to be McCain's running mate.
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Photo Essay John McCain Some call him a hero, some a maverick. Will Americans call him Mr. President?
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.
Schmidt, a bald and barrel-chested operative known for his aggressive brand of political combat, responded by exhorting campaign aides with a speech that one staffer likened to a locker room pep talk out of the football movie "Rudy."
After the meeting, on a regularly scheduled conference call with McCain's 11 regional campaign managers, senior staff briefed the field aides about the move, explaining Davis would focus more on long-range tasks while Schmidt was taking an enhanced daily role, said an indivdual on the call.
McCain sources say Schmidt, who ran Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's reelection campaign and was a top communications aide in Bush-Cheney '04, will coordinate the campaign's daily pro-McCain and anti-Obama message but also will have an increased role in shaping most every facet of the organization including scheduling, policy, coalitions and surrogates.
Davis will focus more on big-picture issues such as general strategy, helping to plan the convention, picking a vice president and tending to the needs of major donors.
Schmidt has been serving as a senior McCain adviser for months and had recently returned to headquarters to help bolster the Republican nominee's message operation.
The move comes a year to the day after McCain laid off dozens of staffers as part of a cost-cutting measure that what would ultimately spur a major overhaul of his campaign.
Now, accounts diverge on the exact nature of the new chain of command. One top McCain source said that Schmidt "assumed full operational control of the campaign today" and described Davis as "a general manager."
But Charlie Black, another top adviser, said Davis was still in charge.
"Steve is going to function under Rick as a [chief operating officer]," Black said. "Rick still has authority over all things. Steve works for Rick."
But Black made sure to not diminish Schmidt's elevated role in the campaign.
"He'll be the maestro who conducts the symphony," Black said of Schmidt's position in driving McCain's message.
Yet McCain sources say Schmidt's imprint will be felt beyond a campaign message that, until recently, had not been clearly defined.
A handful of his fellow Bushworld veterans are also taking on more high-profile roles.
Mike DuHaime, the former Rudy Giuliani campaign manager and RNC political director who had been split between the RNC and McCain, is likely to take an enhanced role in the campaign.
Further, there is likely to be more structure brought to a political operation that has largely been delegated to the Regional Campaign Managers. The campaign currently has no political or field director.
Helping Schmidt drive the new daily message will be Matt McDonald, also a veteran of the Schwarzenegger campaign and Bush-Cheney reelection effort, who just started at the campaign a few weeks ago.
McDonald is working with McCain's press shop in trying to get on offense, sharpening attacks on Obama and pushing a more consistent narrative against the Democrat.
Also coming on board is Taylor Griffin, a former White House and Treasury spokesman, to work closely with reporters and push the campaign's economic message.
Perhaps most important for the campaign's image is the addition of Greg Jenkins, a veteran advanceman who ran presidential advance in the Bush White House. Jenkins, also an aide on Bush's 2000 campaign, is working to ensure better stagecraft of McCain's events and to avoid a reprisal of the much-mocked green background behind McCain at a high-profile speech last month.
One source familiar with the inner workings of McCain's campaign said that the move came after a sluggish ramp-up to the general and number of unforced errors had left the candidate, senior staff and elected officials unhappy with the state of the campaign.
"This will help reassure the chattering class in D.C.," said the source.
By Jonathan Martin
Copyright 2008 POLITICO
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See all 342 Comments________________________________________________
what a hateful person. find something to do already.
Oh! And I am going to be elected the Dali-Lama of Canada! LMAO!
OBAMA with a 15-point lead over McCain.
McCain is a LOSER!!!
Every time Obama steps out from behind the teleprompter he seems to be left wearing his butt for a hat!!
Sexist piece of ka,ka!!
ROTFLMGTBO!!!
Posted by Beastof70 at 11:18 PM : Jul 02, 2008
+ report abuse
ROFLMAO Right! ROFLMAO You poor Nazi''s are so funny. The ECONOMY is falling apart, the Nation is in debt to it''s ears, we have failure in the middle east, the poor old man the fascist have put out can''t keep his story straight from one day to the next and YOU think THIS is a big deal! No wonder you freaks supported the WORST in OUR history... ROFLMAO I heard the ABC piece by McSame where YESTERDAY he claimed to be an EXPERT on the Economy!! This was AFTER he admitted he needed Educating on the Economy, then LYING to Tim Russert about that, then, after Russert ran the tape of him saying it back, admitted he lied. You FASCIST have a much bigger problem than where and when Obama finishes distroying this SAY anything old man!! ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush!!
Also, after you have furnished proof that their posts are lies, they wait until your proof is moved off the current page, then they post the same lie.
Last week Sen. "OsamaObama" challenged Sen. McCain to reveal how well females working for him are being paid.
Turns out, females who work for John McCain earn more on average than males do.
Females working for Sen. "OsamaObama" earn considerably less on average than men in his camp. And, of the five employees who work for him earning more than $100.000, only one is a female.
LOL!!!! Suppose this goes a long ways in explaining why Sen. "OsamaObama" is so terrified of having to take this "feeble old man" on in a townhall debate format that favors the more experienced and quicker of wit.
Every time Obama steps out from behind the teleprompter he seems to be left wearing his butt for a hat!!
Sexist piece of ka,ka!!
ROTFLMGTBO!!!
The ultra-right is paying political hacks to post on websites everywhere. The profile is they post often, always negative towards non-ultra right people, they are always very combative and they whine all the time to try and get people worked up. It''''''''s best to ignor their stuff.
Posted by SHURCH4TRUTH
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Don''t worry Truth. You can always tell a right-wing paid blogger. They sound about 13 or 14 and can''t spell. Dead giveaway every time...!
I guess that goes something like this:
McCain good.
Obama bad.
Now pay me $1,000,000 or I''ll switch who is good and who is bad!
Posted by SHURCH4TRUTH at 10:37 PM : Jul 02, 2008
======================
I suppose this could be, or it might go:
McCain real American
Obama 50%-American
or,
McCain spent 5 1/2 years in the Hanoi Hilton
Obama spent 20 years in a black seperatist church.
or,
McCain real American
Obama 50%-American.
Loved to engage ya - maybe later, must run, great weather, off to the beach for a barbe and a swim. Us liberal know how to have fun.
It would do you some good to get off you fat a$$ -invite your friends, Dumbo & faith_w, then you could have a good ignorant conversation -
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Posted by zoe2006 at 10:47 PM : Jul 02, 2008
Ta! Ta! Shugarplumpotpie...I could care less whether you engage or not...you are a dumbassed Obama supporter...that says it ALL!
Enjoy the BBQ beeeech....I mean, and the beach!
[[I''ve explained why you''re one (IOW, some percentage less American than I am) on this board so many times I''m tired of educating you newbies. ]]]
B- the 2 guys in the White House currently ARE oil men. ...Posted by ofbyfor1
[[ Why do you think I''d be surprised to read where you believe just like your "OsamaObama" worshipping kinfolk believes?? Heck, it was the exact point I was making. LOL!!!!]]
C- Democrats have a majority by HOW many more votes than Republicans at this point? Used to be 1, but may be more by now. ... Have to have a lot more votes on the Dems side than they have right now to override a veto, so you can''t blame it on a ''Dem'' congress. ...
Posted by ofbyfor1
[[You''re clearly not old enough to remember how Ronald Reagan would get things he wanted through a "do nothing" Democrat lead Congress. He simply threatened to take it to the people. I''ve yet to see this "Do Nothing" Democrat Congress threaten to bring anything to the people.]]
Try telling the truth, the whole truth, etc. for a change. Posted by ofbyfor1
[[Do you truly think you offered something to show my post to be false? If so, I must ask, whatcha smokin?]]
see ya, your boring me.
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Posted by zoe2006 at 10:10 PM : Jul 02, 2008
Zoe2006 Shugarplumpotpie...what''s the matter, can''t handle the truth about your smarmy fake-o candidate!
My my my...figgers...
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