By CARL CAMPANILE
Last updated: 7:13 am
July 3, 2008
Posted: 3:39 am
July 3, 2008
John McCain announced a retooling of his campaign staff yesterday as he seeks to boost an operation that has been criticized as ineffective, even by some Republicans.
Steve Schmidt - a hard-charging senior aide who ran California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign and helped manage President Bush's 2004 re-election - has been given sweeping authority over the campaign's day-to-day operations.
Schmidt will now spend most of his time at the campaign's Arlington, Va., headquarters instead of on the campaign trail with the candidate.
Rick Davis will remain the campaign manager.
"There will be better coordination with different levels of the campaign - especially regarding the message," said McCain adviser Charlie Black.
Three other political operatives with ties to Bush have been brought in to tighten up the campaign's message amid some GOP criticism that McCain's candidacy lacks pizzazz.
