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Posted on 10/07/2003 10:45:20 PM PDT by BigWaveBetty
WASHINGTON (AP) - Wesley Clark's campaign manager quit Tuesday in a dispute over the direction of the Democratic presidential bid, exposing a rift between the former general's Washington-savvy advisers and his 3-week-old Arkansas campaign team.
Donnie Fowler, 35, told associates he was leaving over widespread concerns that supporters who used the Internet to draft Clark into the race are not being taken seriously by top campaign officials. Fowler also complained that the campaign's message and methods are focused too much on Washington, not key states, said two associates who spoke on condition of anonymity.
From the start, there has been tension between the campaign's political professionals and the draft-Clark supporters, many of whom consider Fowler their ally.
Fowler has complained that while the Internet-based draft-Clark supporters have been integrated into the campaign, their views are not taken seriously by senior advisers, many of them with deep Washington ties. He has warned Clark's team that the campaign is being driven from Washington, a charge leveled against Gore's campaign in 2000 even though it was headquartered in Tennessee.
The campaign is planning to open a Washington office to develop policy and oversee relations with Congress, a move that raised concerns among some draft-Clark backers who want the campaign based in Arkansas.
Fowler, involved in his fifth presidential campaign, is one of several veterans of the Clinton-Gore political campaigns involved in Clark's bid. They include communications adviser Mark Fabiani, policy adviser Ron Klain, campaign chairman Eli Segal and adviser Mickey Kantor.
Segal moved to Arkansas this week, giving him more hands-on control of the campaign. In addition, Clark adviser Dick Sklar has taken on more authority in recent days. Campaign officials said the moves may have been a source of some friction with Fowler.
Fabiani, who said he is an unpaid adviser to Clark, denied any problems between him and Fowler. "He is a good man, and he has done yeoman's work getting the Clark campaign started," Fabiani said. "Donnie did not tell me why he decided to leave, so it's hard for me to comment on his reasons."
Fowler, son of former Democratic Party chairman Don Fowler, was quietly installed as manager of the campaign in the first days of the bid.WASHINGTON (AP) - Wesley Clark's campaign manager quit Tuesday in a dispute over the direction of the Democratic presidential bid, exposing a rift between the former general's Washington-savvy advisers and his 3-week-old Arkansas campaign team.
Donnie Fowler, 35, told associates he was leaving over widespread concerns that supporters who used the Internet to draft Clark into the race are not being taken seriously by top campaign officials. Fowler also complained that the campaign's message and methods are focused too much on Washington, not key states, said two associates who spoke on condition of anonymity.
From the start, there has been tension between the campaign's political professionals and the draft-Clark supporters, many of whom consider Fowler their ally.
Fowler has complained that while the Internet-based draft-Clark supporters have been integrated into the campaign, their views are not taken seriously by senior advisers, many of them with deep Washington ties. He has warned Clark's team that the campaign is being driven from Washington, a charge leveled against Gore's campaign in 2000 even though it was headquartered in Tennessee.
The campaign is planning to open a Washington office to develop policy and oversee relations with Congress, a move that raised concerns among some draft-Clark backers who want the campaign based in Arkansas.
Fowler, involved in his fifth presidential campaign, is one of several veterans of the Clinton-Gore political campaigns involved in Clark's bid. They include communications adviser Mark Fabiani, policy adviser Ron Klain, campaign chairman Eli Segal and adviser Mickey Kantor.
Segal moved to Arkansas this week, giving him more hands-on control of the campaign. In addition, Clark adviser Dick Sklar has taken on more authority in recent days. Campaign officials said the moves may have been a source of some friction with Fowler.
Fabiani, who said he is an unpaid adviser to Clark, denied any problems between him and Fowler. "He is a good man, and he has done yeoman's work getting the Clark campaign started," Fabiani said. "Donnie did not tell me why he decided to leave, so it's hard for me to comment on his reasons."
Fowler, son of former Democratic Party chairman Don Fowler, was quietly installed as manager of the campaign in the first days of the bid.
Fowler's departure is the latest blow for a campaign that has gotten off to mixed reviews.
National polls put Clark near the top of the nine-person field and he raised more than $3 million in the first two weeks of his campaign, a sum that surpassed what several rivals raised in three months. However, he has been criticized for flip-flopping on whether he would have supported the Iraq resolution, and his commitment to the Democratic Party has been questioned.
Clark voted for Presidents Reagan and Nixon, praised both Bush administrations and had not registered to vote as a Democrat in his home state of Arkansas before entering the race. The high number of Clinton-Gore officials on his campaign, including Arkansan Bruce Lindsey, has caused Clark's rivals to question whether the former president is quietly pushing Clark's campaign, a charge strongly disputed by the candidate and Clinton's associates.
Fowler told associates he won't work for any of Clark's rivals. Aides for at least two of Clark's opponents said they tried to contact Fowler Tuesday night to see if he was available. >
Fowler's departure is the latest blow for a campaign that has gotten off to mixed reviews.
National polls put Clark near the top of the nine-person field and he raised more than $3 million in the first two weeks of his campaign, a sum that surpassed what several rivals raised in three months. However, he has been criticized for flip-flopping on whether he would have supported the Iraq resolution, and his commitment to the Democratic Party has been questioned.
Clark voted for Presidents Reagan and Nixon, praised both Bush administrations and had not registered to vote as a Democrat in his home state of Arkansas before entering the race. The high number of Clinton-Gore officials on his campaign, including Arkansan Bruce Lindsey, has caused Clark's rivals to question whether the former president is quietly pushing Clark's campaign, a charge strongly disputed by the candidate and Clinton's associates.
Fowler told associates he won't work for any of Clark's rivals. Aides for at least two of Clark's opponents said they tried to contact Fowler Tuesday night to see if he was available.
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God Bless This Man! |
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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AND SAY THANKS TO JIM ROBINSON! It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
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Then he ran his mouth. I knew he was toast when I heard Detroit's morning radio "Drew and Mike" just pick him apart and made fun of him.
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