The past two days have seen the political chattering class gleefully speculating about the possibility of another “shake-up” in the McCain campaign, this one bringing in Mike Murphy, an idiosyncratic and opinionated adviser who also served on McCain’s 2000 run. Around noon, Murphy graciously offered to put an end to the divisive chatter, telling Politico, “I do not expect to join the campaign…They’re my friends, and I wish them well.”
You know who came out of that little media scuffle looking great? Mike Murphy. So maybe they should hire him, but, in fact, no one actually did offer him a job. Says one adviser: “Mike never discussed or raised the job with the candidate. Nor did the candidate discuss the job for Mike with his campaign staff or anyone. No one considered Mike for the job. Mike is a friend of the senator who occasionally offers him advice. The senator appreciates their friendship and the advice, as he appreciates advice he receives from many friends.”
And you know how the senator feels about “my friends.”