Flashtraffic: Team Bush gears up for 2004

Bush-Cheney '04, Inc. is open for business. Who's who on the organizational chart? Karl Rove, not surprisingly, will effectively be the CEO and strategist-in-chief, operating out of the West Wing. Mr. Rove's right-hand man, Ken Mehlman, stepped down as White House political director, moved over to the reelection effort, and became campaign manager, overseeing day-to-day operations. Mr. Mehlman's top lieutenant, Matt Schlapp, took over as White House political director. Marc Racicot is expected to leave his post as Republican National Committee chairman to join the campaign as a senior adviser. Likewise, former Bush 2000 senior campaign adviser Ed Gillespie is expected to be named the new RNC chairman next month. Jack Oliver, Mr. Racicot's deputy at the RNC, is slated to become deputy finance director. Mr. Oliver's job will go to Maria Cino, a top deputy to Commerce Secretary Don Evans. The campaign's top summer priority: Raise boatloads of money. GOP strategists expect the campaign to raise between $150 million and $170 million over the next year, a sum that dwarfs the record $100 million the Bush campaign raised in 2000. Seven fundraisers are planned for the last two weeks of June alone. The kickoff event occurs on June 17 in Washington.

... Would you like >> FLASH TRAFFIC << delivered free to your desktop via email? CLICK HERE to subscribe.