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GIULIANI His Plea: Focus on My Record, Not the Armchair Psychology
(By Paul Sakuma -- Associated Press)
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Tom Collamore, who has been serving as chief operating officer of the nascent Thompson operation, will become a senior adviser to the campaign, but without day-to-day management responsibilities.
"It's been an honor and a privilege to serve Senator Thompson in this critical stage of testing the waters and preparing an organization that will make it possible for him to make the best decision going forward," Collamore said yesterday.
Republican insiders reported that differences between Collamore and Thompson's wife, Jeri, led to the changes. Sources close to the campaign said those reports were overblown. "There's some rub, but it's not near the way it's being played out," one knowledgeable Republican said.
Collamore was brought aboard to help build the infrastructure for a presidential campaign and reportedly felt it was time for the campaign to shift to another level. But his move leaves the campaign without a manager at a critical time. Thompson advisers once talked about launching the campaign by early or mid-July. Now his advisers say it could be September before he is ready to formally announce his campaign.
Thompson has recruited several veteran Republicans to help run the operation, including former senator Spencer Abraham (Mich.), who served in several key party posts before running for office himself. Abraham will become campaign chairman. Randy Enwright, a longtime Florida-based GOP strategist who has played key roles in President Bush's campaigns there, will serve as political director.
-- Dan Balz
DEBATE'S AFTERMATH Albright Takes On Obama (Sort of)
One day after the Democrats' YouTube/CNN debate in South Carolina, the campaigns of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama scrambled yesterday to exploit perceived openings on national security issues.
Clinton took aim at Obama's statement in the debate that he would meet with leaders of rogue states within a year of becoming president. Clinton said in the forum that she would not. "I don't want to be used for propaganda purposes. I don't want to make a situation even worse," she said.
The Clinton campaign rejoiced over the contrast in approaches, putting former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright on the phone with reporters yesterday to praise Clinton.
"She knows that being president is about protecting the country and advancing national security interests," Albright said. The key to the question, she said, was that it asked whether the candidates would meet with rogue leaders without preconditions. Was Obama's answer wrong?
