McCain's Exodus Continues; 10 Senior Staff Members Gone Or Going

MANCHESTER, NH -- On the eve of yesterday's campaign shake-up, McCain aides and volunteers retired to the Strange Brew taverns to try and forget, just for a moment, the day when their world collapsed. One McCain aide said he was "physically there" but "mentally gone." Another did not know whether he was still on staff, although he said he still received press clippings -- "Robert Terra e-mails" after the staffer who sends them around -- so he assumed that he was still on board.

At least ten senior staff members are gone or going. Besides ex-mgr Terry Nelson, ex-strategist John Weaver, they include McCain's political director, his finance director, Mary Kate Johnson, Nelson's deputy and Weaver's deputy.

McCain also lost his Nevada state director, and campaign advisers said they expected Jon Seaton, McCain's Iowa director and national field director, to quit in the next week.

Late yesterday, McCain and aide Mark Salter telephoned several other top aides to urge them to stay put.

Comments

I am thinking maybe Hollywood should take note. There is a definite sequel to Titantic in this story.

Posted by Michael Crawford | July 11, 2007 10:21 AM

If you are looking for a campaign on the rise, look at Sam Brownback. His small but strong Iowa organization scored a strong second in the Linn County straw poll, the second largest county in the state, and a win with about 40% in the Black Hawk County straw poll last Saturday. And in South Carolina we are almost all volunteers so far, but we are gaining supporters every day. Unlike others Brownback doesn't just say there are problems , he has long rang plans- like on Iraq, immigration, even taking on cancer and promotintg the sanctity of human life on all fronts. Check out www.brownback.org. Join the grass roots, conservative campaign on the rise.

Posted by Jim Corbett | July 11, 2007 11:11 PM