McCain Loses Two Key Staffers

"Complete the danged fence," John McCain says in the latest ad for his reelection campaign, as he strolls along the Mexican border with a sheriff. Unfortunately, the ad isn't just cheesy: Released last week, it's already generated a wave of criticism that may have forced two high-level campaign staffers out the door. McCain's campaign manager Shiree Verdone and part-time deputy campaign manager Mike Hellon both announced that they're leaving the campaign on Sunday, presumably on account of what many see as a blatant flip-flop in the advertisement. McCain's critics—including his main opponent in a hotly contested Republican primary, J.D. Hayworth—contend that the ad is a complete reversal of McCain's position on border control during the last presidential campaign, in which he was quoted as saying that he did not support "walls and fences."