Top two aides quit US presidential candidate McCain's campaign

July 10, 2007

The top two aides in United States presidential candidate John McCain's campaign have resigned from their posts today.

The resignation of campaign manager Terry Nelson and long-standing chief strategist John Weaver was announced while McCain was on the floor of the Senate debating strategy in Iraq. Nelson said, "It has been a tremendous honor to serve Senator McCain and work on his campaign," and "I believe John McCain is the most experienced and prepared candidate to represent the Republican Party and defeat the Democratic nominee next year."

Weaver's statement echoed that of Nelson: "It has been my honor and a distinct privilege to serve someone who has always put our country first. I believe that most Americans will come to the conclusion that I have long known there is only one person equipped to serve as our nation's chief executive and deal with the challenges we face, and that person is John McCain."

In a statement, McCain said the resignations were "accepted with regret and deep gratitude for their dedication, hard work and friendship." He further said, "I will continue to address the issues of greatest concern to the American people, laying out my vision for a secure and prosperous America."

Rick Davis will step in as campaign manager. Davis served in this capacity during McCain's 2000 presidential bid.

McCain has not performed well in recent opinion polls. He usually trails Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson, pulling only single digits in some surveys.

Last week, McCain announced financial information for his campaign. The US$11.2 million that were raised in the last three months placed him third among Republicans. The $2 million the campaign reported as cash-on-hand was viewed as a relatively small sum by analysts.