Fred Thompson Campaign Bleeding Staffers

Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign continues to have more departures than a Greyhound bus terminal.

Thompson personally hired Jim Mills, a highly respected Fox News producer, as his press spokesman. Two weeks later, after Thompson hired William Lacy as his campaign manager, Thompson fired Mills.

Mills gave up a hefty paycheck at Fox to join the Thompson campaign. He told friends he considered Thompson essential to the future of America. His firing outraged colleagues at Fox. Because Mills joined a campaign, his chances of being re-hired are diminished. He is still looking for a job.

J. T. Mastranadi, Thompson’s director of research, quit in horror after Thompson’s wife Jeri began taking attendance at campaign headquarters in McLean, Va., one late Friday afternoon. Jeri Thompson actually called staffers at home to ask where they were and why they should be paid.

“The younger ones thought they were going to lose their jobs,” a former staffer said. “The more established ones were offended and asked themselves, why do I need this? One asked if Jeri would be calling him at 1 a.m. to check up on him when he was doing campaign work.”

Despite that incident, Jeri, formerly with the Republican National Committee and Senate Republican Conference, is highly respected in Republican political circles.

“Message-wise, Jeri is great,” said a former staffer. “She understands him and how he is best presented. She is a very bright and a good political thinker.”

However, this week, Nelson Warfield, Thompson’s media consultant, left in disgust as well, Top advisor Mark Corallo quit previously.

Warfield was offended by Mills’ firing, Jeri Thompson’s meddling, and Thompson’s “lazy” approach to campaigning, according to one former staffer. Corallo left out of loyalty to Mills and dismay over what he considered Thompson’s mismanagement of the campaign.

Asked for comment, Thompson advisor Mary Matalin called a story about the departures “a very old item” that “very much mischaracterizes the campaign effort.”

She said Lacy was hired “to pull together a first class professional operation commensurate with the task at hand, namely, getting the best conservative elected, which is the only way to unite the party, which is the only path to beating the liberals next fall.”

Matalin said Lacy “has in fact accomplished his mandate above and beyond what anyone thought possible after the other money throwing campaigns vacuumed through the political community.” Lacy “is doing far more with are fewer and less paid staff who are all there because they believe in Fred,” Matalin said.

Many staffers who have quit or were fired felt Thompson misled them about the energy he would put into the campaign. While Thompson shows up at fund raisers, he leaves quickly and doesn’t spend much time making calls to raise money.

“That’s just distasteful to him, or else he’s busy doing other things,” a former staffer said.

Early on, Thompson told campaign aides he was not going to be frenetic. As they understood it, that meant he would not pop in and out of states. Instead, he would spend three or four days in a state like Iowa, for example.

“We thought he would be going from town to town, spending two hours at a time and talking to people,” a former staffer said. “Instead, he gets out of a bus and wears a baseball hat. The reporters laugh about it,” he said.

“Instead of an all-out campaign, it seemed he thought of campaigning as a break from the rest of his life, which entailed hanging out at home with his wife,” a former staffer said. Meanwhile, he noted, campaign aides are expected to work around-the-clock.

If Hillary Clinton is the candidate and Thompson is matched against her, the former staffer predicted a Republican disaster.

“Hillary is tireless,” he said. “She doesn’t take anything for granted. Nor do the rest of the candidates on the Republican side.”

http://blogs.thestate.com/bradwarthensblog/2007/07/mccain-2008reag.html

1980 REAGAN

CAMPAIGN SHAKE-UP

During 1980 Campaign, Reagan “Had To Overcome Doubts About His Age And Ability, An Ill-Advised Iowa Strategy, A Major Staff Shake-Up In The Middle Of The Campaign And Serious Money Problems.” “It is true that Reagan entered the campaign with enormous assets. … But Reagan had to overcome doubts about his age and ability, an ill-advised Iowa strategy, a major staff shake-up in the middle of the campaign and serious money problems.” (Lou Cannon, “Reagan: Iowa Loss Allowed Him To Campaign His Way,” The Washington Post, 6/1/80)

“The Shake-Up Of His Campaign Staff” Seen As Contributing Factor To Reagan’s Primary Victory. “The shake-up of his campaign staff and his more personal style of campaigning have contributed to Reagan’s commanding lead for the Republican nomination. To William J. Casey, Ronald Reagan’s reconstructed campaign proves that even in election politics, one can ‘make a virtue out of necessity.’ … Casey … was referring to the recent radical changes in the former California governor’s campaign strategy and staff operations.” (Dom Bonafede, “The ‘Liberation’ Of Ronald Reagan – A New Staff And A New Strategy,” National Journal, 3/22/80)

Reagan Struggled With Early Fundraising

In July 1979, Fundraising Reports Placed Reagan Fourth Among Republican Presidential Candidates, While First In Spending. “Ronald Reagan, regarded as a leading candidate for the 1980 Republican presidential nomination, is trailing other GOP candidates in financial contributions this year, according to federal reports. The Federal Election Commission said Wednesday that Reagan’s campaign committee has reported $1.4 million in contributions so far this year. That compares with these other GOP presidential contenders and the funds they have reported raising: Rep. Philip M. Crane of Illinois, $2.5 million. Former Texas Gov. John Connally, $2.2 million. Former CIA Director George Bush, $1.5 million. … And although Reagan wasn’t the leading fund-raiser, he was the biggest spender, using nearly $1.3 million of the $1.4 million he raised.” (“Washington Dateline,” The Associated Press, 7/19/79)

· “While It Has A $121,000 Cash Surplus, According To The Latest Campaign Finance Reports, The Reagan Campaign Committee Has $141,741 In Debts And Obligations, Much Of It Owed To A West Coast Direct Mail Firm.” (Fred Barbash, “Reagan Raises $1.4 Million In Campaign Funds,” The Washington Post, 7/26/79)

In August 1979, “[L]yn Nofziger, A Longtime Reagan Aide, Was Removed As Finance Director.” (Bill Peterson, “Specter of Kennedy Casts Shadow On GOP Politics,” The Washington Post, 9/23/79)

By September Of 1979, Reagan’s Campaign Was $500,000 In Debt. “The only serious weakness in the Reagan effort is fund raising. In late August, the campaign found itself almost $500,000 in debt …” (Bill Peterson, “Specter of Kennedy Casts Shadow On GOP Politics,” The Washington Post, 9/23/79)

In January 1980, Reagan’s Campaign Abandoned Plans To Run The Campaign Without Federal Matching Funds And The Corresponding Spending Limits, After Coming To The “[R]ealization That Its Fundraisers Could Not Gather Enough Contributions To Run The Campaign Without Federal Money …” “Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign yesterday accepted a federal check for $100,000, ending weeks of internal debate over whether Reagan should accept federal matching funds and the spending limits that go with them. It was the Reagan campaign’s first such check. Its second will be far larger. … The decision reflects the Reagan campaign’s realization that its fundraisers could not gather enough contributions to run the campaign without federal money, campaign treasurer Bay Buchanan said. ‘Our feeling was, don’t take matching funds until you have to, she said.” (“GOP Chairman Says It’s Time For Debate on U.S. Hostages,” The Washington Post, 1/26/80)

As Voting Period Approached, Reagan Had Staff Shakeup

In Late 1979, Then-Campaign Director John Sears “Eased Out” Group Of Longtime Reagan Advisers, Including Lyn Nofziger And Mike Deaver. “Recently, three of Reagan’s oldest and most conservative advisers – deputy campaign chairmen Lyn Nofziger and Mike Deaver, and issues man Marty Anderson – have been eased out of his campaign by John Sears, the pragmatic chairman. Some Reagan loyalists worry that the changes portend a more moderate campaign tack, thus alienating hardline conservatives.” (“The Bumpy Campaign Trail,” Newsweek, 12/17/79)

Deaver’s Dismissal Left Sears In “Undisputed Control Of The Campaign.” “Three topsiders in Ronald Reagan’s Presidential campaign have been pushed overboard in the last three months … Such fears were given new credence last week when Michael Deaver, a friend and conservative adviser to Reagan for fourteen years, was forced out of the campaign because he had been operating outside the chain of command of manager John Sears, who now stands in undisputed control of the campaign.” (Dennis Williams, “Reagan’s Campaign Shake-Up,” Newsweek, 12/10/79)

After Losing Iowa Caucuses, Reagan Fired Campaign Manager And Entire Top Layer Of Political Aides

1980: After Losing Iowa Caucuses, Then-Gov. Ronald Reagan Vowed – According To A Campaign Aide – “There’s Going To Be Some Changes.” “As Ronald Reagan sees it, the seeds of his victory in the Republican presidential contest were sown in the dark hours of defeat after the Iowa precinct caucuses last Jan. 21. … Chief of staff Edwin Meese recalls Reagan saying grimly to him the same night, ‘There’s going to be some changes.’” (Lou Cannon, “Reagan: Iowa Loss Allowed Him To Campaign His Way,” The Washington Post, 6/1/80)

On Day Of New Hampshire Primary, Reagan Dismissed Campaign Manager, Political Director And Press Secretary. “Feb. 26, New Hampshire – Reagan defeats Bush nearly 2 to 1 and regains his status as front-runner. The afternoon of his victory he fires Sears, political director Charles Black and press secretary Jim Lake in a shakeup that in effect restored Reagan as head of his own campaign. Former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman William J. Casey is brought in as campaign director and Meese, whose Sears’ attempt to fire triggered the timing of his own dismissal, becomes chief of staff.” (Lou Cannon, “Reagan: Iowa Loss Allowed Him To Campaign His Way,” The Washington Post, 6/1/80)

Dismissal Of Sears Triggered “Massive Housecleaning Of The Reagan Operation. “Sears, the campaign’s executive vice chairman and chief strategist until he was fired on Feb. 26, antagonized many of Reagan’s conservative backers and California friends by attempting to package the candidate in too moderate a guise and devising his unsuccessful low profile Iowa campaign. … On the day of the primary, Sears was summarily fired, along with two of his closest associates … Several other campaign aides aligned with Sears also left, either voluntarily or by request, in what amounted to a massive housecleaning of the Reagan operation.” (Dom Bonafede, “The ‘Liberation’ Of Ronald Reagan – A New Staff And A New Strategy,” National Journal, 3/22/80)

· Dismissed Reagan Staffer: “We Had No Idea … That This Was Going To Happen.” “A member of Reagan’s Washington office, who was among those let go, said the dismissals came as a surprise. ‘We knew there was contention, but we had no idea how bad it was or that this was going to happen.’” (Dom Bonafede, “The ‘Liberation’ Of Ronald Reagan – A New Staff And A New Strategy,” National Journal, 3/22/80)

· Then-Rep. And Reagan Supporter Jack Kemp (R-NY): “It was a blessing in disguise; it really shook up the candidate and the troops … Maybe it will be remembered as a loss which led to ultimate victory.” (Dom Bonafede, “The ‘Liberation’ Of Ronald Reagan – A New Staff And A New Strategy,” National Journal, 3/22/80)

Posted by Brad Warthen at 06:40 PM in Elections, History, Parties

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