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Top Dem Rips Kerry Campaign
CBSnews.com ^ | September 14, 2004

Posted on 09/14/2004 6:42:30 PM PDT by Hildy

“What I’m looking for is a Karl Rove and I don’t know where our Karl Rove is.”
Tony Coelho

The latest from CBS News reporters and analysts on the 2004 campaign:

Longtime Democratic insider Tony Coelho lashed out at the John Kerry presidential campaign, characterizing it as a campaign in chaos. With yet another appointment of a former Clinton administration staffer to Kerry’s team on Tuesday, Coelho argues the problem is worsening.

“There is nobody in charge and you have these two teams that are generally not talking to each other,” says Coehlo, who ran Al Gore's campaign early in the 2000 presidential race. As Coelho and other detractors see it, there is a civil war within the Kerry campaign.

Sen. Ted Kennedy’s former staff members, Mary Beth Cahill, the Kerry campaign manager, and veteran Democratic strategist Bob Shrum are at odds with recent additions who served under President Clinton.

“Here are two groups that have never gotten along and have fought, and it is a lot over money,” says Coehlo. "Because in the Democratic Party the consultants get paid for the creation and the placement of [advertising]. Republicans only pay you for the creation.”

Coelho, a former congressman who served as House majority whip for the Democrats from 1987 to 1989, does not question any of the Kerry staff's sincerity in wanting to unseat President Bush. But his comments highlight a longstanding battle within the Democratic Party for national campaign control.

“In 1988, Dukakis: Shrum is involved. In 1992, Clinton: nothing to do with Shrum. They don’t want Shrum in any way,” Coelho says. “In 1996, they do not want Shrum in any way. In 2000, Gore doesn’t want Clinton people. We go forward, 2004, all of a sudden it’s the Shrum/Kennedy people.”

And Coelho adds that the Kerry campaign staffers “are in serious trouble now, so they want to bring in the Clinton people.”

The Democratic scuttlebutt has long been filled with concern over Shrum’s losing streak. He remains 0 for 7 in presidential elections, from George McGovern to Michael Dukakis to Al Gore. When Coelho resigned as chairman of the Gore campaign, Shrum, in large part, took the reins.

The Kerry campaign insists this is not the case; it says Mary Beth Cahill is still in charge. But last week, the appointment of strategist John Sasso as a senior adviser began to belie such claims.

Calls and e-mails to Cahill and the Kerry campaign were not immediately returned.

“What I’m looking for is a Karl Rove and I don’t know where our Karl Rove is.” Coelho says. “I think Sasso is a Karl Rove. I’m very high on Sasso because I don’t think he plays Machiavellian games. I think he very sincerely wants to win. I think he is very big on Kerry. And I think he’s tough enough to say, ‘Goddammit, come together.’”

Sources inside the Kerry campaign say the Democratic nominee was fuming that his advisers told him to ignore charges by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that Kerry lied about his war record and betrayed fellow veterans by testifying to Congress about alleged atrocities committed by U.S. soldiers.

The Kerry campaign never countered the Swift Boat charges, the allegations persisted and Kerry’s bad August ensued.

Kerry led most polls leading into August. By the second week of September, President Bush had come back and now has a four-to-seven point lead over Kerry, depending on the poll.

“Our problem here is a national message,” Coelho says. “What is it that we [Democrats] are? If you go to Kerry, that’s a disaster because the candidate should not be involved in solving disputes or the creation of his message.

“You need a [campaign] boss, somebody who says ‘Shut up, we are going to work this out.’ Not someone who can go around to Kerry, and that’s Shrummy’s forte,” Coelho continues, speaking of Shrum. The Kerry campaign has over the past week refuted speculation that either Shrum or Sasso are running the campaign.

But in a sign of how seriously the Kerry campaign is taking its dive in the polls, a trio of ex-Clinton staffers has come aboard recently, including former Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry who signed up on Tuesday. He joins Joe Lockhart, another onetime Clinton press secretary, and Joel Johnson, the former president’s legislative strategist.

The call for the Clintonistas, in McCurry’s view, illustrates that Democrats are circling the wagons.

“Democrats are sort of coming out of places where normally they might sit on the sidelines,” McCurry says, “because there is a strong sense that we really need to get in there and try to help, because it is an important election.”

McCurry emphasizes that he is not in charge. “I’m not pretending that I’m taking any major strategic role,” he says. “I think they’ve got too many gurus in that campaign. I’m going to be a road guy and help out and make sure Kerry’s as good as he can be.”

McCurry defends the Kerry camp and says he doesn’t think they got off message in August. “I think Bush got on message,” he says.

“I think [Mr. Bush] had a much better August than he had had prior,” McCurry says. “So I think part of this is a reaction to the fact that [the Bush campaign] sharpened up their operation and had a good convention on their side. We just have got to do our bit, on our side.”

McCurry’s addition followed a call this past weekend from campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill.

“I said I would think about it,” McCurry says. “And then when I talked to Lockhart and said, ‘What’s your assessment of what you really need?’ it was pretty clear that he could use the help. And he’s a guy that has been there for me so I wanted to help him.”

McCurry was quick to speak of himself as a deputy, not the sheriff. Though Coelho questions Cahill’s ability to run the campaign, he does not question her managerial ability.

“She’s basically a C.O.O, and a very good one. I think she’s a very effective administrator,” Coelho continues. “What McCurry represents is further chaos because McCurry’s not in charge. If they were telling me that McCurry’s in charge, then I’d feel better. I’m not sure he’s the right guy, but I’d feel better.”

Of Shrum’s role as adviser, Coelho says “I’m not anti-Shrummy here. What I’m saying is that you need to have someone in charge and I think Sasso’s capable of it.”

“If [Sasso] is in charge then Goddammit, say it and stop having the speculation of who's in charge because that’s worse,” Coelho says. “It also starts to impact in regard to the whole image of leadership. If someone can’t control a message in a presidential campaign, how are you going to be a good president?”


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: kerry; worrieddems
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To: Hildy; crushkerry; MeekOneGOP; doug from upland; The Bandit

CBS getting even, perhaps?


21 posted on 09/14/2004 6:56:33 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: onyx; doodlelady

FYI


22 posted on 09/14/2004 6:57:17 PM PDT by Hildy (John Edwards is to Dick Cheney what Potsie was to the Fonz.)
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To: onyx; doodlelady

FYI


23 posted on 09/14/2004 6:57:17 PM PDT by Hildy (John Edwards is to Dick Cheney what Potsie was to the Fonz.)
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To: macbee

The old mythical man month..


24 posted on 09/14/2004 6:57:45 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: Hildy
“What I’m looking for is a Karl Rove and I don’t know where our Karl Rove is.”

And their Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc.

They'll never find them. Liberalism is unwanted.

25 posted on 09/14/2004 6:58:01 PM PDT by concerned about politics ( Liberals are still stuck at the bottom of Maslow's Hierarchy)
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To: Hildy
Wonder why Shrum is such a legend in Dem circles with a 0-7 record?

A pro football coach with that many consecutive losing seasons would be ancient history.
26 posted on 09/14/2004 6:59:10 PM PDT by NewMediaFan
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To: Howlin; MEG33; Mo1; McGavin999; Brad's Gramma; Saundra Duffy

ping!


27 posted on 09/14/2004 6:59:38 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: Hildy

I don't know what kind of clout a candidate with a 36% approval rating has. Sounds like he can't get any respect from his own staff :-}


28 posted on 09/14/2004 6:59:50 PM PDT by snooker
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach


29 posted on 09/14/2004 7:00:05 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP!)
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To: Hildy
Hehehe...divide, distort and even more divisions...and $hrillary is there (everything going according to her plan) to pick-up the pieces in '08.
30 posted on 09/14/2004 7:00:06 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass (Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :)
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To: Parley Baer

If all this is true, when or will the poll numbers show the tanking effect? Or, will this just turn off the voters completely?


31 posted on 09/14/2004 7:00:57 PM PDT by sarasotarepublican
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To: Hildy

Wow. I've always wondered what it would be like to literally scrape the bottom of the barrel. And when Ted Kennedy starts campaigning for you, you are stone-cold out of options.


32 posted on 09/14/2004 7:02:28 PM PDT by small voice in the wilderness (Quick, act casual. If they sense scorn and ridicule, they'll flee..)
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To: Hildy
McCurry defends the Kerry camp and says he doesn’t think they got off message in August. “I think Bush got on message,” he says.

Misunderestimated.

33 posted on 09/14/2004 7:02:30 PM PDT by XEHRpa
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To: Hildy

What I would like to know is. What Message?
John Kerry never offers up any plans. All he does is complain about President Bush. One would think that a 19 year Senator would just once offer up something of substance. But no, all Kerry does is NAG!


34 posted on 09/14/2004 7:02:42 PM PDT by jerry639
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To: Jeff Chandler

Now that's a feel good story!


35 posted on 09/14/2004 7:02:52 PM PDT by Pajama Blogger
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To: Hildy

FROM CBS NEWS. Who is still listening or reading any thing from the joke of a nes orgainization?


36 posted on 09/14/2004 7:04:25 PM PDT by notkerry
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To: Hildy
“If [Sasso] is in charge then Goddammit, say it and stop having the speculation of who's in charge because that’s worse,

Management by committee. If one programmed the computer like that, one would end up with... Ada.

Who or what is Ada? Don't worry. In 15 years, they'll be saying "who or what is 'Kerry'?"

37 posted on 09/14/2004 7:05:06 PM PDT by XEHRpa
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To: MeekOneGOP

Just such a lovely cartoon!


38 posted on 09/14/2004 7:05:10 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: Hildy
Ah, Tony Coelho - remember his protege John Mack?
"Coelho is also a friend — golfing buddy, co-investor — of John Mack, a top aide to then-Speaker Jim Wright.
In 1973, Mack had been the manager of a discount store in Virginia. A college student named Pamela Small came into buy window blinds for her first apartment. Mack lured her into a storeroom and smashed her skull with a hammer five times. He then used a steak knife to stab her in the chest and shoulder and to slit her throat. He put her body in her car and went to see a movie.
But Small survived and went to the police. Mack first denied his guilt, then admitted to having "blown his cool." Luckily for Mack, his brother was married to Jim Wright's daughter. Wright wrote letters for Mack and promised to give him a job (even though he had neither Hill experience nor a college education). Mack served two years in jail and then went on to work his way up the Hill.
In 1989, though, Small came forward and the Post broke the story of his past "mistake" (as he put it). Coelho already knew of Mack's background. His reaction when the story broke? "John Mack owed his debt to society, not to this young woman." Besides, he added, Mack "worked to pass very caring bills." According to Carlson, "No other member [of Congress] was quite as ardent as Coelho in his support of Mack. . ."
Coelho was under criminal investigation himself for his role as U.S. commissioner general to the 1998 World Exposition in Lisbon, Portugal.
Source :
http://www.nationalreview.com/daily/nrprint050500b.html
The good old days when the Democrats could rely on the Post to cover things up for them.
39 posted on 09/14/2004 7:05:19 PM PDT by afz400
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Comment #40 Removed by Moderator


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