Concern in G.O.P. Over Progress of McCain’s Bid

Concern in G.O.P. Over Progress of McCain’s Bid

By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: May 25, 2008

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign
is in a troubled stretch, hindered by resignations of staff
members, a lagging effort to build a national campaign
organization and questions over whether he has taken full
advantage of Democratic turmoil to present a case for his
candidacy, Republicans said.

In interviews, some party leaders said they were worried about
signs of disorder in his campaign, and whether the focus in
the last several weeks on the prominent role of lobbyists in
Mr. McCain’s inner circle might undercut the heart of his
general election message: Presenting himself as a reformer
taking on special interests in Washington.

“The core image of John McCain is as a reformer in Washington
— and the more dominant the story is about the lobbying teams
around him, the more you put that into question,” said Terry
Nelson, who was Mr. McCain’s campaign manager until he was
forced out last year. “If the Obama campaign can truly change
him from being seen as a reformer to just being another
Washington politician, it could be very damaging over the
course of the campaign.”

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More than that, they said, Mr. McCain organizationally still
seems far behind where President Bush was in 2004. Several
Republican party leaders said they were worried the campaign
was losing an opportunity as they waited for approval to open
offices and set up telephone banks.

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