Saguaro
02-12-2008, 10:35 PM
EL PASO, Texas - Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's deputy campaign manager resigned Tuesday, the latest departure in a staff shake-up following a string of losses to Barack Obama.
In an e-mail message to staffers obtained by The Associated Press after Clinton lost the Virginia primary Tuesday, Mike Henry said he was stepping down to allow campaign manager Maggie Williams to build her own staff. Williams replaced Patti Solis Doyle during the weekend. Solis Doyle had recruited Henry to join the campaign last year.
"Out of respect for Maggie and her new leadership team I thought it was the best thing to do," Henry wrote. "As someone who has managed campaigns, I share the unique understanding of the challenges that the campaign will face over the next several weeks. Our campaign needs to move quickly to build a new leadership team, support them and their decisions and make the necessary adjustments to achieve the winning outcome for which we have all worked so hard for over a year now."
It was unclear whether Henry was forced out.
Clinton rallied in Texas on Tuesday night after her Virginia defeat, declaring to cheering supporters, "I'm tested, I'm ready, let's make it happen."
The New York senator is hoping to right her campaign with a rebound in the March 4 races in Texas and Ohio. At her El Paso rally, she slipped into a "you all" and criticized President Bush, the former Texas governor.
"There's a great saying in Texas," she said, "all hat and no cattle. Well after seven years of George Bush, we need a lot less hat and lot more cattle."
And she said hopes for health coverage for all Americans rest with her, not her Democratic rival.
"Senator Obama won't come forward with the universal health care plan, but I have," she said. "With your help we will achieve universal health care in America."
Henry's departure came during the latest round of bad news for Clinton's campaign.
Obama continued to rack up wins, beating Clinton by a nearly 2-to-1 margin in Virginia in the first of three contests Tuesday. Obama also was expected to win in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Henry was the campaign's main field architect and was best known for writing a memo in the spring urging Clinton not to compete in Iowa, "our consistently weakest state." The memo was leaked to the media, which embarrassed Clinton as she was beginning to build an organization in Iowa.
Clinton placed third in Iowa, behind Obama and John Edwards, who has since left the race. Her campaign has struggled since then.
Guy Cecil, another top field strategist, was expected to succeed Henry.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/clinton;_ylt=Aghuz3hm4FeUzNCWaexSAQus0NUE
In an e-mail message to staffers obtained by The Associated Press after Clinton lost the Virginia primary Tuesday, Mike Henry said he was stepping down to allow campaign manager Maggie Williams to build her own staff. Williams replaced Patti Solis Doyle during the weekend. Solis Doyle had recruited Henry to join the campaign last year.
"Out of respect for Maggie and her new leadership team I thought it was the best thing to do," Henry wrote. "As someone who has managed campaigns, I share the unique understanding of the challenges that the campaign will face over the next several weeks. Our campaign needs to move quickly to build a new leadership team, support them and their decisions and make the necessary adjustments to achieve the winning outcome for which we have all worked so hard for over a year now."
It was unclear whether Henry was forced out.
Clinton rallied in Texas on Tuesday night after her Virginia defeat, declaring to cheering supporters, "I'm tested, I'm ready, let's make it happen."
The New York senator is hoping to right her campaign with a rebound in the March 4 races in Texas and Ohio. At her El Paso rally, she slipped into a "you all" and criticized President Bush, the former Texas governor.
"There's a great saying in Texas," she said, "all hat and no cattle. Well after seven years of George Bush, we need a lot less hat and lot more cattle."
And she said hopes for health coverage for all Americans rest with her, not her Democratic rival.
"Senator Obama won't come forward with the universal health care plan, but I have," she said. "With your help we will achieve universal health care in America."
Henry's departure came during the latest round of bad news for Clinton's campaign.
Obama continued to rack up wins, beating Clinton by a nearly 2-to-1 margin in Virginia in the first of three contests Tuesday. Obama also was expected to win in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Henry was the campaign's main field architect and was best known for writing a memo in the spring urging Clinton not to compete in Iowa, "our consistently weakest state." The memo was leaked to the media, which embarrassed Clinton as she was beginning to build an organization in Iowa.
Clinton placed third in Iowa, behind Obama and John Edwards, who has since left the race. Her campaign has struggled since then.
Guy Cecil, another top field strategist, was expected to succeed Henry.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/clinton;_ylt=Aghuz3hm4FeUzNCWaexSAQus0NUE