Report: McCain campaign shakeup promotes 'Bushworld veterans'

Nick Juliano
Published: Wednesday July 2, 2008

Apparently undeterred by accusations that he is running for George W. Bush's third term, Republican presidential candidate John McCain is shaking up his campaign staff to promote several "Bushworld veterans" to top positions, according to a new report.

Politico's Jonathan Martin reports that Steve Schmidt, a senior communications aide in the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign, is now in charge of the "day-to-day operation" of McCain's White House run.* The shakeup has created some confusion within McCain's team about who's really running the show.

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," Martin reports.

Sources tell Martin that Schmidt, who also ran California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election effort, will coordinate McCain's daily message and "have an increased role in shaping most every facet of the organization," leaving current campaign manager Rick Davis, a former lobbyist, to focus more on big-picture issues.

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."

One of McCain's earliest hires, Schmidt joined the campaign as a communications adviser in December of 2006.

Schmidt is a a veteran of the Bush White House and protege of Karl Rove, Bush's former top political opperative.

Martin reports that several other "Bushworld veterans" are taking on larger roles in the campaign, including Matt McDonald, who worked for the '04 campaign; Taylor Griffin, a former White House spokesman; and Mike DuHaime, who managed Rudy Giuliani's own failed presidential campaign.

*(McCain: Bought, Sold, & Repackaged a Winner?!? @ DailyKos, by EmilyD, Wed Feb 06, 2008 at 07:07:27 PM PDT)

...Who the hell is Steve Schmidt?

Steve Schmidt Photo Source

He's the "fixer" the Rove lieutenant who saved Arnold Schwarzenegger's ass in California back in 2006.

The New, Improved "Green" Arnold

He's the plumber who helped squeeze now-Supreme Court Justice Alito through Congressional pipes.

Alito's Wife cries him a river.

He's the skank who comes straight from Dick Cheney's bomb shelter with orders from the devil himself. And most recently, Steve Schmidt is "fixing" John McCain as ordered to be the keeper of the newly entrenched Fear-Based, pre-emptive war-making, Oligarchy that is Bush/Cheney Corp.

King-maker, power-keeper

Whenever Schmidt is in the game you can rely on "Swift-boat" tactics, racism, sexism, cheating, lying, stealing political games until they win what they want.

Read what Glen Greenwald has to say about him.

So, even with our Dem nomination still in flux (but oh it's a beautifully real and honest thing isn't it?) we have to prepare for the toughest political battle of our lives, and perhaps the life of this country. Both of our remaining candidates, (hell all the previous ones too) are 10 thousand times better for America than John McCain.

We bloggers are the foot soldiers of this movement and also the canaries in the coal mine. It's up to us to seek out information and spread it far and wide. We must be vigilant, determined, and focused on the goal, winning back the American people's house on Pennsylvania Avenue.