McCain Camp Shakeup: Rove Acolyte Takes Charge

Rick Davis is being replaced by Steve Schmidt as head of day-to-day operations in McCain's campaign, the Politico reports.

McCain aide Carly Fiorina insists the move is a "gear-up," not a "shake-up."

But according to the New York Times, it's a revamp of McCain's entire strategy:

The shift was approved by Mr. McCain after several aides, including Mr. Schmidt, warned him about 10 days ago that he was in danger of losing the presidential election unless he revamped his campaign operation, according to two officials close to the campaign.

In the first public reflection of Mr. Schmidt's new role, the campaign is planning what will amount to a relaunch of Mr. McCain's candidacy after July 4, with the senator touring the country to promote a jobs program and visiting battleground states like Colorado, Wisconsin and Michigan to illustrate the economic problems he will be talking about.

As part of the shake-up, the McCain campaign is abandoning from what had been a big innovation by Mr. Davis, in which the campaign would largely be directed by 11 regional campaign managers who have been given power over everything from where Mr. McCain would go to what advertisements he would run. Mr. Schmidt has told associates that he feared that system was unworkable and would lead to gridlock in the campaign; instead, he is likely to install a political director in Mr. McCain's campaign headquarters.

Davis drew scrutiny for his career as a lobbyist, including his lobbying company's work for an Iran-tied Ukrainian billionaire.

Schmidt, on the other hand, comes from the Karl Rove school of campaigning.

Almost exactly a year ago, McCain fired his top aides and installed Davis as campaign manager.

Comments

[keepemhonest]

10:34 AM on 07/05/2008

Karl Rove & Steve Schmidt are running McCain's day to day campaign.

Rove/Schmidt playbook, "Perception is Political Reality."

CNN reported the McCain campaign primed the pump for the press to suggest Obama is changing policy when he had not. -- That is to say, Rove/Schmidt are sending emails to the press to give the "Perception" Obama is flip/flopping when he is not. -- Naturally, the press eats up the sensationalism & reports Rove/Schmidt BS without facts.

McCain is the ultimate flip/flopper and most importantly McCain is Bush3. McCain supports everyone of Bush's failed policies. -- Rove/Schmidt want to distract the media attention away from McCain's flips & McCain's losing policies and direct it with the FALSE PERCEPTION Obama is flipping.

I suggest that people remain aware of the Rove/Schmidt playbook and don't fall for the con game of Rove/Schmidt.

[waynesmyer]

11:20 AM on 07/05/2008

OK! My beloved and fellow GOPers! Here's the new game plan! We accuse Obama of having an affair with a black woman in North Carolina which resulted in a bi-racial child! See! Then we gets FAUX News to run the story 24-7 for the next 6 month! See! Damn, I am so smart! Karl, uh, Steve , uh! Rove-Schmidt?
Johnny BB McCain, We already tried that! YOU ARE FIRED!

[ObamAtomic]

04:32 PM on 07/03/2008

McCain was invited to Colombia for a political show,the liberation of the former hostages
was planed five years ago,execution,coordination etc,president Uribe
informed McCain prior to the rescue of the former hostages on his arrival to the country.
October or November surprise a gift from Bush to McCain .....the capture of Bin Landen?
Neocons are working behind the curtains to advance McCain goals.
McCain stated , on the revamp of his campaign ,I do not think changes are big,,,,,,,Goonies will be arriving little by little!

[Msohio]

02:44 PM on 07/03/2008

The MSM has totally neglected the fact that Cindy McCain fought Mothers Against Drunk Driving in MADD's campaign to label alcohol content on containers. Well, how will that register with the "religious right" and in the Bible belt? Besides getting years to pay delinquent taxes, the McCains can leave their money in the bank and pay as they want to. I know that the foreclosure victims would like for McCain to give them the same considerations. But, he claimed that they made poor choices. But, the MSM and the Kelly O'Donnells of the world just smile and call him the maverick. Well, maverick this---John McCain.

[amcg50]

02:05 PM on 07/03/2008

And he is different from Bush; how?

[lthuedk 1]

01:38 PM on 07/03/2008

Herr Schmidt will have those i4i's foaming from the mouth and smoking from the ears after they get properly pointed in the direction of the "islamofascist" boogie men. The fear mongering with reach new heights and Obama -a Constitutional scholar- shall be known as Marx II.

We await the rush of all that true Christian compassion. Begin donating blood now. Get a head start on a brand new martyr class.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/2008_A.D..html

[jeannie526]

01:32 PM on 07/03/2008

And, McCain's transformation into Bush is complete......

[lthuedk 1]

01:26 PM on 07/03/2008

Expect sleaze, innuendo, outright lies, radical swiftboating, precinct hijinx, vote caging, robocall fear mongering, targeting of spouse and children, intimidation, lost voting machines, party "controlled" vote tabulation, and much more.

Remember: Pinky is out there...unchaperoned and working discretely and without communicative oversight.

The F.B.I. should, but very likely won't, wiretap every Rovian surrogate because, even in a sea of probable cause and ample justification, the right wing is and always has been untouchable.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/but_whats_a_hard_drive.html

[RichardSau]

01:18 PM on 07/03/2008

Carly Fiorina! I heard her on NPR yesterday mentioning she's was onboard to help on econicamical issues ... goes on .... "help decide what should stay and what should go" referring to jobs.

Is this the same person that on January 7, 2004, at a meeting with U.S. Congresspeople, Fiorina said, "There is no job that is America's God-given right anymore. We have to compete for jobs as a nation."

Her statements angered Bay Area workers who felt that lower wages overseas encouraged U.S. corporations to use less-qualified, offshore workers, instead of better-qualified American ones.

[TruthHasSpoken]

01:21 PM on 07/03/2008

Aren't they regretting it right now with the lack of quality products to compete internationally?

[RichardSau]

01:24 PM on 07/03/2008

Economical hehe

[DocR]

12:53 PM on 07/03/2008

This makes it official - a Bush third term is the goal.

[TruthHasSpoken]

01:19 PM on 07/03/2008

duh, where have you been

[popey1234]

12:43 PM on 07/03/2008

hopefully this scmitdt character will change mccain's "honorable campaigning" against obama. the obama team is a bunch of chicago political hacks that will stoop to anything in order to win. it's definitelt time to step up the attacks agains the very weak, unpatriotic obama

[AdobePhsyko]

01:11 PM on 07/03/2008

Well Put Karl

[TruthHasSpoken]

01:17 PM on 07/03/2008

Isn't it why you enter a contest to win, right? If you are talking about character(patriotic/unpatriotic) assassination, I don't think that's a honorable way to run a campaign.

[NoahVail]

12:05 PM on 07/03/2008

One wonders what they originally had planned with this Columbian caper. You can bet the Manchurian candidate will stop at nothing to get what he wants. And I mean NOTHING.

[buster05]

12:13 PM on 07/03/2008

I thought McCain said he wasnt running for Bush`s third term. If so why is he surrounding himself with all of his affiliates including Bush himself?

[batgirl71]

03:11 PM on 07/03/2008

Because they know how to frighten the American people and steal elections. That is the only way a Republican will win the White House this year.

[JamesInDenver]

11:51 AM on 07/03/2008

Why doesn't McCain just hire the entire Bush administration and be done with it. The Republicans should be embarrassed nominating this retread. Unfortunately McCain is only slightly smarter than Bush, and the difference is hardly noticeable.

[Dane1911]

10:53 AM on 07/03/2008

Isnt Karl Rove dodging the courts, I watch Dan Abrams and he is always saying that he has to testify for some foul play that can end up with him doing some time.....Good move McCain...I guess everything is fair game now, cause Karl will be all negative....

[TruthHasSpoken]

10:50 AM on 07/03/2008

These two party leadership are clowns. Their principles are not working for this age but they'll keep sticking to it. War hawking, increase spending, will increase our deficit weakening the dollar, as in raising tax and spending more on new programs. We need an independent thinking leader not a boxed in party principles.

[SouthpawSass]

10:26 AM on 07/03/2008

NBC's Mitchell misrepresented sequence of Clark's remarks, suggesting Clark only "subsequently ... honored" McCain's service
http://mediamatters.org/items/200807020010?lid=417641&rid=10454651