WASHINGTON — Michele Bachmann’s staff in New Hampshire released a letter Monday stating unequivocally that they had in resigned en masse and that they expressly blamed a lack of communication between the staff and Bachmann’s campaign for the decision.
On Friday, Bachmann’s campaign didn’t appear to realize that its New Hampshire staff had walked out, instead claiming that all was well.
The ex-staff members refuted Bachmann’s national staff’s claim that there had been no walkout, saying “it should be clear that the entire N.H. team has departed.” The ex-staff members also said they have no confidence in Bachmann’s national campaign team.
“While [the ex-staff members] collectively felt loyalty to the candidate, they no longer have faith in the national team. This is a sentiment that has been building since June, and was expressed on numerous occasions to members of the national team.”
The staff members said they made several attempts to talk to Bachmann’s national campaign team about staying on but were ignored.
In a radio interview Friday, Bachmann herself denied that there was a problem with her New Hampshire operation, blaming the reports on rival campaigns.
The ex-staff members also said that because of financial troubles within Bachmann’s campaign, they had not been paid in more than a month and had gotten no word from her national staff whether they could return to the payroll.
And they suggested that Bachmann’s campaign had given New Hampshire the short shrift.
“The manner in which some in the national team conducted themselves towards Team NH was rude, unprofessional, dishonest, and at times cruel. But more concerning was how abrasive, discourteous and dismissive some within the national team were towards many New Hampshire citizens,” they wrote. They also claimed they were left out of strategy discussions.
Bachmann’s campaign endured a major shake-up in September when chief strategist Ed Rollins, along with his deputy, David Polyansky, and pollster Ed Goeas resigned, leaving the day-to-day operations in the hands of Keith Nahigian.
Earlier this month, Bachmann’s congressional spokesman, Doug Sactleben, also quit.
PERRY HIRES EXPERIENCE
Meanwhile, Rick Perry is beefing up his team with presidential campaign veterans.
Perry is bringing in Tony Fabrizio, a veteran who was chief strategist for Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign, to help top Perry strategist David Carney. Also joining the team are strategist Nelson Warfield, consultant Curt Anderson and media guru Jim Innocenzi.
Former President George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign manager, Joe Allbaugh, landed a top strategic role.
Republicans privately said that adding the new staff members, particularly Allbaugh and Fabrizio, will give the Perry campaign credibility with the Republican establishment outside Texas and help convince donors that Perry has a plausible or even likely path to the GOP nomination.
HUNTSMAN IRKED
Jon Huntsman on Monday lashed out at the former governor of New Hampshire for endorsing Mitt Romney for the GOP presidential nomination.
Huntsman, who has put most of his political eggs in the New Hampshire basket, complained that former Gov. John Sununu’s endorsement ignores Romney’s history, including his record as governor of Massachusetts.
“When you look at his past statements, positions and voting record, the idea that Mitt Romney is a principled conservative is an impossible conclusion,” Huntsman said. “It is more than his one term dealing with a liberal legislature; it’s a lifetime and record of inconsistent and liberal positions.
“One last thing I almost forgot to mention: While we both served President George H.W. Bush — you as chief of staff and me as ambassador to Singapore — Mitt Romney supported and voted for Democratic presidential candidate and potential Bush opponent Paul Tsongas,” Huntsman wrote to Sununu, still a Republican power.
Sununu, however, is highlighting Romney’s conservative credentials.
“I’m supporting Gov. Romney because he is a solid conservative who is committed to reducing taxes, cutting spending and preserving America’s military strength,” Sununu said in a statement released by the Romney campaign.
Meanwhile, Romney on Monday formally submitted paperwork on his Republican primary candidacy to the state’s top election official.
The New Hampshire presidential primary is expected to be held Jan. 10 — just 11 weeks away.
Information for this article was contributed from Washington by James Oliphant of Tribune Washington Bureau; from Washington by Kasie Hunt and Philip Elliott and from Concord, N.H. by Steve Peoples of The Associated Press; and from Los Angeles by Michael Muskal of the Los Angeles Times.
Front Section, Pages 3 on 10/25/2011