Political Aides

A political insider tapped by Barack Obama to vet potential running mates resigned Wednesday, saying he wanted to prevent a controversy over his personal finances from hurting the Democratic presidential candidate's campaign. The unpaid advisor, Jim Johnson, was chosen by Obama last month to serve on a three-member team screening prospective nominees for vice president.

He's back in. Oops, not so fast: He's back out. Friday was that sort of day for Phil Gramm, a John McCain backer and former Texas senator. McCain distanced himself from the Texan earlier this month after Gramm opined that America was a "nation of whiners" and that the economic downturn was just a "mental recession." That put his role as a McCain economic advisor and campaign surrogate in limbo.

A self-described "change warrior," Carly Fiorina has been a law school dropout, a real estate broker, an English teacher, a telecommunications executive and the first woman to be hired, then fired, as chief executive of a Fortune 20 company. The former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO is again forging new territory for herself, this time in the highest ranks of American politics. She has quickly emerged as a high-level advisor to Sen.

EVER wonder who's sitting behind, say, Virginia Sen. John Warner during a Senate hearing? Well, it's obviously Aide 151. That mysterious, behind-the-scenes assistant is the kind of person who might be profiled in "The Almanac of the Unelected"; the 2008 edition, published in June, is a 760-page tome that shines a light on who does what in Washington.

Charges about the pervasive influence of lobbyists have been constant refrains in the 2008 race, but new reports that a company owned by John McCain's campaign manager received a $15,000 monthly stipend from a major mortgage firm at the center of the credit crisis are clouding the Arizona senator's effort to portray himself as a Wall Street reformer.

Seven of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's top aides, including chief of staff Mike Nizich, defied legislators' subpoenas for their testimony on possible abuse of power by the governor. The chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, Democrat Hollis French, waited 30 minutes before reading a statement that the witnesses could be found in contempt when the full Legislature convenes in January and that the investigation will go on "in a simple search for the truth." Alaska Atty. Gen. Talis Colberg filed a lawsuit Thursday on behalf of the seven, challenging the authority of those conducting the investigation into Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner.

In the wild ride that is the McCain presidential campaign, Steve Schmidt has been at the wheel, steering -- some say careering -- from Paris Hilton to Sarah Palin, from abrupt "suspension" to abrupt restart. Schmidt is McCain's day-to-day operations boss.

In political campaigns today, digital video cameras and YouTube can be used as weapons. So can a good old-fashioned walking stick. After a candidate's forum at a Winchester, Va., hotel Friday, two young campaign workers for Democrat Judy Feder, who is challenging 14-term incumbent Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), learned this the hard way.

An aide to California Sen. Barbara Boxer was charged in federal court this week with receiving and distributing child pornography. FBI agents arrested Jeff Rosato, 32, at his Arlington, Va., apartment last Friday. Boxer's office fired him the same day after learning of the charges. Rosato appeared in federal court in northern Virginia on Wednesday and was released to home detention on the condition he not leave the area without permission.

For those clamoring for invitations to future White House functions -- including Christmas parties and state dinners -- there will be few people more important than Desiree Rogers. The Chicago businesswoman will wield major clout for such events as the next White House social secretary, an appointment President-elect Barack Obama's transition office announced this week.