Thread: McCain Meltdown

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19762064/site/newsweek/
Inside the McCain Campaign Meltdown

The Former Front Runner: Now McCain's team is falling apart
Newsweek
July 23, 2007 issue - Eight years ago, he was the Karl Rove of the McCain campaign: a gifted strategist from Texas who could turn a relatively unknown politician into a serious presidential candidate. John Weaver was McCain's alter ego in 2000, and after their defeat he plotted their 2008 comeback.


That was until last Tuesday morning, when his cell phone rang. Recovering from the flu, Weaver ignored the phone, thinking it was his alarm. Later he picked up the call to hear his old friend Mark Salter, McCain's chief of staff and the coauthor of the senator's best-selling autobiographies. Salter told Weaver they had lost control of the campaign: McCain had sided with their internal rival, Rick Davis. "John wants you to stay," Salter said. "I can't and won't," Weaver replied, according to an insider who didn't want to be named talking about private conversations.

In theory, the dispute was over the campaign manager: Terry Nelson, a big player in George W. Bush's 2004 campaign, who quit last week. In reality, the fight was over who had the candidate's ear. By sticking with Davis, McCain lost Weaver and Salter—and two top hands in Iowa who quit in solidarity. Salter is now in Maine, writing the occasional speech (unpaid) for his old boss. Weaver, who moved from New York to D.C. three weeks ago, never heard from McCain. He went to campaign HQ, told the senior staff, packed up and walked out.

A lobbyist turned strategist, Davis joined the 2000 race relatively late as campaign manager. But over the years he won the trust of McCain and his wife, Cindy. Now the campaign's CEO, he mapped out a game plan for a national organization, including a $100 million budget that never met its fund-raising goals. McCain raised $25 million in the first half of the year, and has spent almost all of that. His campaign has just $2 million in hand, and owes more than $1 million. "The responsibility is mine," McCain told New Hampshire Public Radio last week. "We didn't use the money in the most effective way."

Davis succeeded, according to two McCain confidants (anonymous when discussing internal struggles), by operating outside the campaign structure and talking to McCain directly—including about perceived problems with the other McCain staffers. The McCain campaign failed to respond to multiple requests to talk to Davis.

With his staff in meltdown, can McCain reclaim the front-runner status he held six months ago? John Kerry revived during the 2004 primaries. But few analysts think McCain can recover. "The retaliation and the fallout is going to sink McCain's candidacy," said another campaign insider, not ID'd when discussing internal matters. "It's the saddest thing I've ever witnessed in politics." For a war hero who endured years of torture and solitary confinement in Vietnam, there have surely been tougher times. But a political recovery is more than a test of courage; it's a test of teamwork—and McCain's team just fell apart.

—Richard Wolffe

McCain, for the most part SUNK himself by siding with illegal aliens instead of supporting AMERICAN CITIZENS!!!! To put it simply... mCCAIN IS A TRAITOR!!!!

Here's the quote that predetermined his fate:

"You can't do it, my friends." [referring to picking lettuce for 50USD/hr to a union/labor meeting]

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/04/candidate_mccai.php

Maybe next time he'll think about who(m) he represents and what popular opinion actually IS before he opens his big mouth. Happy retirement Mr. McCain - your career is over.

Here's the quote that predetermined his fate:

"You can't do it, my friends."

Well, my little friend, senor mccain, I think we DID do it, don't you?? :P

Love it.

I might feel sorry for McCain if he was a champion of the American people. However, he has sold US out and his faltering campaign is simply a reflection of this recognition by Americans.

This should be a warning to other globalist, elitist neocons and the "democrat" socialists.....basically all of the leaders of both parties ad the vast majority of Presidential candidates.

I might feel sorry for McCain if

I could never feel sorry for him the way he treated the American people regarding illegal immigration.

I'm usually very soft hearted about things, and always willing to forgive honest mistakes, but the way he behaved as a U.S. senator.....he needs to go home and retire.

He used every ounce of his former power and energy to nearly pull the United States of America right out from underneath the American people. And he knew good and well what he was doing every step of the way.

I also have not a drop of sorrow for the man. He dug his own hole by patronizing illegals so to hell with him. I just hope some of the other candidates get the message. Of course they would never acknowledge if they did get the message because that wouldn't be politically correct.