Republicans splintering over McCain's tactics

John McCain at a town hall event in Lakeville, Minnesota, this week. (Stephen Crowley/The New York Times) Republicans splintering over McCain's tactics : After a turbulent week that included disclosures about Sarah Palin and signs that John McCain was struggling with the tone of his campaign, Republican leaders said over the weekend that they were worried the Republican nominee for president would lose the race unless he brought stability to his candidacy and settled on a clear message to counter Barack Obama. Again and again, party leaders and conservative spokesmen said in interviews and on television that while they believed that McCain could still win, they were concerned that he and his advisers were adrift in dealing with an extraordinarily challenging political battleground and a crisis on Wall Street. Bill Kristol, a... [read full story]