CNN:
Campaign manager Rick Davis said Tuesday that senior adviser Steve Schmidt would take over day-to-day operations of the campaign.
The Bush campaign veteran will report to Davis, but the rest of the campaign will report to Schmidt, who will be in charge of everything from messaging and communications to the political structure, organization and scheduling.
Davis will shift into what's being described as a more "natural role" for him -- the kind of duties he handled before last summer's mass firings in the McCain campaign. He will work on the vice presidential search and on planning matters such as the Republican National Convention.
Schmidt's top priority, according to a senior aide, will be to stop "unforced errors in the campaign."
.....
McCain advisers privately tell CNN that the moves are a direct result of missteps in messaging and scheduling that didn't give the candidate a good platform, and a political structure that many thought was misguided.
The Wednesday shakeup comes on the first anniversary of what McCain aides call "Black Monday" -- when much of the campaign's staff was fired because it ran out of money and began collapsing.
From Politico:
Schmidt, who ran California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's reelection campaign and was a top communications aide in President Bush’s re-election effort four years ago, is taking over day-to-day operations from campaign manager Rick Davis. Schmidt will shape the campaign’s message, run its political operation and oversee most every facet of the organization, including the candidate’s schedule, policy statements, deployment of surrogates and coalitions.
“He'll be the maestro who conducts the symphony,” said McCain adviser Charlie Black.
A McCain insider said the change gives Schmidt “near total control of the campaign."
The shift was announced Wednesday morning at a staff meeting in the campaign’s headquarters in Arlington, Va., with Davis making the announcement that he would focus on long-range issues such as the Republican convention, selection of a vice-president and debates.
NYT's take
WaPo:
Schmidt becomes the third political operative in the past year to take on the task of attempting to guide McCain to the White House. A veteran of President Bush's political operation, Schmidt will be in charge of finding a more effective message in the Arizona Republican's race against Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who leads in most polls.
In a telephone interview, Schmidt said that McCain faces a difficult challenge, given the overall mood of the country, but that he is encouraged by the race remaining relatively tight.
"There are 125 days left until the American people will decide the next president," he said. "Senator McCain is the underdog in the race. We suspect he is behind nationally five to eight points but well within striking distance. I will help run an organization that exists for the purpose of delivering John McCain's message to the American people." Schmidt is also expected to abandon Davis's plan to put roughly a dozen regional campaign managers in place around the country.
