Jeri Thompson, the Shakeup, & Money Wakeup

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From the Trial:

So who's really in charge of Fred Thompson's (non)campaign?

Officially, day-to-day operations will be run by Randy Enwright, the former political director. But in fact, according to several people close to Thompson, the true powerhouse is Thompson's wife, Jeri. A lawyer and former spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, she has become the de facto manager of her husband's nascent White House bid, according to several people who asked to remain anonymous so they could discuss internal deliberations openly.

"She's the go-to person on all issues, big and small," said one person familiar with the operation, echoing what other sources have previously reported. "Approving direct mail copy, setting the date for the announcement, deciding how to travel. She signs off on car manifestes, you name it--anything."

The Atlantic ONLINE says:

Campaigns at this stage often require a single puppet master. Good Ole' Fred has one: wife Jeri Kehn Thompson.

Thompson unwisely allowed tension to develop between his wife and the rest of the
campaign staff. Ex-campaign-manager designate Tom Collamore did not mesh with Jeri Thompson and the friction between the two was evident to the rest of the staff.. At times, Kehn Thompson would simply countermand Collamore's instructions. She has final hiring authority -- something that every campaign manager needs and Collamore never had. The Thompson presidential staff will be her staff more than Fred's.

J.T. Mastranadi is one of the Republican Party's best opposition researchers. His "ground" skill -- his ability to unearth new information -- is the envy of many competitors. He was hired two weeks ago, and when he began to plan for the campaign, he found it difficult to get his questions answered. He quickly concluded that Thompson had yet to get his affairs in order, friends say.

Now -- the strong hand of Jeri Thompson is not necessarily a force for evil. But Thompson's press has been brutal and borderline sexist, a consequence of her many detractors speaking on background to reporters. Thompson has worked as a professional political consultant and knows the basics of putting a campaign together. And Fred Thompson trusts her to make decisions. Incoming staffers need to accept that Jeri is first among equals.

It took about eight months for John McCain to discover that lines of authority matter. Presidents ought to be competent managers. If a candidate can't get his campaign right, then it's fair to wonder how he'd structure the White House staff, what power he'd delegate to the cabinet, who would make decisions in his absence and more…. The resignations and backbiting suggest that the campaign cannot control its own image, and the responsibility lies solely with the candidate. Ole Fred has to fix the problems. His supporters will lose faith in him if he dawdles and his fundraising will dry up even more.

Mary Akers at the Sleuth has the following:

"She's running the campaign," grouses one veteran GOP political operative involved in the Draft Fred movement. "It's the No. 1 rule of politics: The wife can't be the campaign manager."

Quoting The Corner on National Review Online, "Thompson's campaign is beginning to resemble his career."

Well, we'll just have to follow these developments. Is Jeri a bit like Hillary? We'll have to wait and see.