Party Discipline: [Steven Ohlenmacher, AP]: "Republican Party leaders on Monday recommended punishing five states for shifting their nomination contests earlier, moving to strip New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming of half their delegates."
So What?: [John Distasto, New Hampshire Union Leader]: "[New Hampshire] State Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen yesterday shrugged off a national GOP panel's decision to withhold half the state party's delegates to the Republican national convention next summer."
Not Dead Yet: [Dan Morain and Joe Mathews, Los Angeles Times]: "Veteran GOP consultants said Monday that they were relaunching a drive to change the way California allocates its electoral college votes, aimed at helping the 2008 Republican presidential nominee capture the White House."
Running Mates: [Lois Romano, The Washington Post]: "As the most prominent and important surrogates in a campaign, [candidates' spouses] no longer have the luxury of sitting it out, or of traveling exclusively at their husband's (or wife's) side. Most keep independent schedules often as rigorous as the candidate's, have support staffs and strategically use their voices to promote the candidate and sometimes criticize the opposition, while trying to hold on to their own identities."
Pulling the Strings: [Michael Cooper, The New York Times]: "[McCain's campaign manager Rick] Davis’s current challenge was undertaken in a charged atmosphere. While some supporters of the campaign have come to view him as its savior, others complain that given his former role as its chief executive, he shares blame for the implosion it is now trying to recover from."
--Ben Crair