Former McCain aide bashes campaign's strategy

John Weaver calls McCain's latest ad "childish" -- and his criticisms don't end there.

Published July 30, 2008 10:19PM (EDT)

We already knew that some Republicans are worried by the distinctly negative attitude John McCain's campaign has taken toward Barack Obama recently. But the Atlantic's Marc Ambinder has a bit of a scoop, some particularly harsh criticism of the McCain campaign's tactics that comes from John Weaver, who until he resigned from the campaign last year had been very close to McCain.

What emerges from the interview is a portrait of one of the aides who really believes in McCain, and in his image, and is frustrated with the campaign's strategy, which he says "diminishes John McCain."

Weaver specifically took issue with the McCain camp's latest anti-Obama ad, calling it "childish," and told Ambinder it was what moved him to speak out, saying he's had "enough."

"There is legitimate mockery of a political campaign now, and it isn't at Obama's. For McCain's sake, this tomfoolery needs to stop," Weaver said. "For McCain to win in such troubled times, he needs to begin telling the American people how he intends to lead us. That McCain exists. He can inspire the country to greatness."


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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2008 Elections John Mccain R-ariz.