Two top aides resigned Tuesday from the 2008 presidential campaign of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain — the latest sign of disarray for the one-time GOP front-runner, whose White House bid has been beset by stagnant poll numbers, lower-than-expected fundraising and staff layoffs.
The latest to leave McCain’s camp are campaign manager Terry Nelson and chief strategist John Weaver. Nelson formerly was a top political aide to President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign and to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which oversees the party’s strategy in House campaigns; Weaver has long been a friend and close political adviser to McCain.
All parties sought to portray their departures as amicable.
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve Sen. McCain and work on his campaign,” Nelson said in a statement. “I believe John McCain is the most experienced and prepared candidate to represent the Republican Party and defeat the Democratic nominee next year.”
“It has been my honor and a distinct privilege to serve someone who has always put our country first,” Weaver said in a statement. “I believe that most Americans will come to the conclusion that I have long known there is only one person equipped to serve as our nation’s chief executive and deal with the challenges we face, and that person is John McCain.”
McCain, in an impromptu Capitol Hill discussion with reporters, said of Nelson and Weaver, “We remain very close friends. We will remain in close contact. We will remain loyal and close friends,” adding, “We will continue to rely on their advice and counsel in the future.”
But the resignations were the latest shakeups in a campaign organization that was widely viewed as top-heavy with consultants and unwise in its expenditures.
Both Nelson and Weaver were part of a long lineup of all-star campaign operatives lined up well in advance of the 2008 campaign by McCain — who appeared a top-tier contender based on his background as a Vietnam War hero, experience as Bush’s leading opponent for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination, and occasional breaks with the GOP line that gave him a “maverick” image.
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The latest to leave McCain’s camp are campaign manager Terry Nelson and chief strategist John Weaver. Nelson formerly was a top political aide to President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign and to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which oversees the party’s strategy in House campaigns; Weaver has long been a friend and close political adviser to McCain.
All parties sought to portray their departures as amicable.
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve Sen. McCain and work on his campaign,” Nelson said in a statement. “I believe John McCain is the most experienced and prepared candidate to represent the Republican Party and defeat the Democratic nominee next year.”
“It has been my honor and a distinct privilege to serve someone who has always put our country first,” Weaver said in a statement. “I believe that most Americans will come to the conclusion that I have long known there is only one person equipped to serve as our nation’s chief executive and deal with the challenges we face, and that person is John McCain.”
McCain, in an impromptu Capitol Hill discussion with reporters, said of Nelson and Weaver, “We remain very close friends. We will remain in close contact. We will remain loyal and close friends,” adding, “We will continue to rely on their advice and counsel in the future.”
But the resignations were the latest shakeups in a campaign organization that was widely viewed as top-heavy with consultants and unwise in its expenditures.
Both Nelson and Weaver were part of a long lineup of all-star campaign operatives lined up well in advance of the 2008 campaign by McCain — who appeared a top-tier contender based on his background as a Vietnam War hero, experience as Bush’s leading opponent for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination, and occasional breaks with the GOP line that gave him a “maverick” image.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
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