Posted on 11/17/2003 6:20:51 AM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
Democratic presidential hopeful Carol Moseley Braun's shoestring campaign faces another upheaval as she names former NOW chairwoman Patricia Ireland as her latest campaign manager while other key aides depart.
"I have made a whole adult career out of tilting at windmills,'' Ireland said Sunday. Ireland becomes Braun's third campaign chief.
Longtime Braun confidant Billie Paige ends her tenure today as treasurer while consultants Kitty Kurth and Kevin Lampe, the Chicago-based husband-and-wife team working with Braun since the start of her longshot bid, left the campaign on Friday, citing "personal'' reasons.
Braun has resisted any suggestion she drop out of the nine-person Democratic race. The campaign is a drive for the former Illinois senator to rehabilitate her image as much it is to make a statement about women running for the White House.
A former New Zealand ambassador, Braun won the endorsement of the National Organization for Women and the National Women's Political Caucus in August, but she has not yet been able to capitalize on the backing.
Ireland said she would be able to leverage those endorsements. "I've been president of NOW for 10 years. I know how to work that crowd and I know how to build networks,'' said Ireland, fired in October as the CEO of the YWCA.
Paige leaves the campaign as Braun's fund-raising is lagging and her debt is growing past $200,000. Braun made her last payroll and most of the money is owed to lawyers, accountants and vendors, not staff.
Ireland is the third manager, not counting the person now holding the position on an interim basis, and brings Braun a national presence her campaign has been lacking.
She said she anticipates a new emphasis on Braun working her core supporters -- black and female voters. That suggests that Braun will be spending more time in South Carolina and cut down her already infrequent visits to New Hampshire.
"I think she needs to play to her base,'' Ireland said.
Ireland said after she was dismissed from the YWCA she wanted to get involved in a presidential campaign and "Carol was my first choice.''
Ireland and Braun have known each other for years and Ireland campaigned for Braun when she first ran for the Senate in 1992.
Ah, Carol remains true to form...there still is contstant upheaval among her staff.
And the windmills are still unbeaten!
Heehee, this ought to be interesting.
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