Is Scarpinato effectively running Jesse Kelly’s campaign?

by David Safier

Jim Nintzel is a careful journalist with lots of sources, so when he says "We're hearing that . . ." I don't take it as gospel, but I pay serious attention. And he says "we're hearing that" Daniel Scarpinato is the new behind-the-scenes guy in Jesse Kelly's campaign.

According to Nintzel on The Range,

While no formal changes have been announced by the Kelly campaign, we’re hearing that John Ellinwood, who has been Kelly’s spokesman and one of his chief strategists, has been neutered by NRCC bigwigs. As we understand it, Ellinwood has been told that he’s not to make any statements without the approval of Scarpinato, a former Arizona Daily Star reporter.

Nintzel mentions Kelly came out with his new "no privatization" stance on Social Security and Medicare last week when Scarpinato came to town. Coincidence or orders from National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Daniel Scarpinato? You be the judge.

Nintzel adds all kinds of interesting background on things like what Scarp said about Kelly when running Paton's 2010 CD-8 primary campaign (According to Scarp, the Kelly campaign “has had about as much accuracy and credibility on things as Countdown With Keith Olbermann”) and Kelly's response during his recent press conference to questions from AZPM and the Star about his new "no privatization" position (According to Nintzel, "Kelly said he was out of time and could answer no more questions").

It sounds like Kelly's straight-from-the-heart, shoot-from-the-hip persona has been replaced by an I'll-say-what-the-NRCC-wants-me-to-say capitulation.