(CNN) – Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul is replacing his campaign manager as he looks to pivot to the general election and move past a series of damaging public statements about civil rights.
David Adams, a former blogger who managed Paul's grassroots campaign through his Republican primary win last Tuesday, will now serve in the role of "Campaign Chairman."
Jesse Benton, until now the campaign's top consultant, will assume the title of Campaign Manager. Benton was the communications director for Paul's father, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, during the 2008 Presidential campaign. He is also married to Ron Paul's granddaughter.
Adams hinted at the re-shuffling earlier Wednesday on his Twitter account, writing that he "expects to outlive rumors of my imminent demise."
Benton stressed that the move was not a "shakeup" and said Adams will remain the campaign's "top liason to donors and the grassroots" along with being "a top surrogate" for the candidate. Benton will manage the "nuts and bolts" of the campaign, he said, with "a focus on strategy and messaging."
Republicans questioned the campaign's strategy and messaging last week after Paul granted interviews to several national media outlets and questioned elements of the Civil Rights Act - comments seized on by Democrats eager to paint the libertarian-leaning Paul as outside the Kentucky mainstream.
"This is essentially the same team, with slightly varied roles, that won the GOP primary by 24 points and was widely recognized for its effectiveness," Benton said.
Paul's Democratic opponent is Attorney General Jack Conway.
From CNN Politics
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Rand Paul should do what Palin did and just quit
Too late, his true colors have already been shown.
Rand Paul had to BLAME SOMEONE!
LOL. Paul, the only thing that will help you is a brain transplant.
You have all the intelligence and depth of Sarah Palin.
Did Mr. Adams forget to let you know normal Americans find your views repulsive, idiotic, hateful, and not based in reality? I can be your campaign manager. KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. There is my campaign advice.
Rand Paul needs to be advised to think before he speaks, although what he said about Civil Rights and Disabilities was the truth as he believes it and the good people of Kentucky better think long and hard before election this idiot to the senate!
Replacing his campaign manager, eh? Rand Paul's campaign is in trouble. His comments about Civil Rights (loved his interview with Rachel Maddow! Rand is a male – Palin!) and Disabilities were enough to hopefully........ God willing......... get the people in Kentucky to think long and hard before electing this idiot to the senate!
Is it not truely sad that what passes for a leader-wannabe these days has to have a group of damage control managers surrounding them, to avoid having fearless leader saying what they really think. It is already obvious this wingnut has little grasp of reality; coming to the defence of a company that has turned the Gulf of Mexico into the world`s largest oil slick. The fanatical right seem to want it both ways; blaming Obama for B.P.`s blunders; and then criticizing him for holding B.P. accountable. But what else would you expect from the "Drill Baby Drill" crowd; except total hypocracy.
Uhhhh.... I think Mr. Paul is looking for a scapegoat. The person who is responsible for the recent gaffes and the one who needs to be "replaced" is Mr. Rand Paul himself.
BTW– I see they keep everything "in the family".... the new guy is married to Daddy Ron Paul's granddaughter. Nepotism at its best.
yeah SURE it's not a shakeup! Somebody had to be the scapegoat for this foolishness so why not blame it on the campaign manager. That still doesn't change Paul's views or the stupid things he said. But then again maybe like most guys in his position he just MIS-SPOKE! So GOP how's thst "We're gonna take our country back in November thingy" going for ya so for?
Lip stick on a pig...it's still a pig!
Why is Conway hiding? Let's see of which he's made.
If looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck! Rather , it is a shake-up after a severe case of "open mouth insert footitis"
This is what happens when you hire a blogger instead of a real campaign manager.
maybe he should change jobs....... and head a KKK outfit!
Next-that hairstyle should have been left in the 1960s as well.
A better story would be "Campaign Manager Replaces Rand Paul."
Here's a suggestion for the new campaign manager..
Paul may be able to win the Republican vote with racist rhetoric, but unlikely there are enough local KKK to carry him through the general election. So, try dropping the racist line. Although it's probably too late for that. Question is, does Kentucky have enough biggots to elect a racist? Tune in this November
To late Rand, we all know you are a racist, no matter who your campaign is. What you said is on tape that cannot be removed. Your done young man.
This fool needs a lot more than a new campaign manager. He needs to get out of politics - at least in this country. We simply do not have time to suffer idiots like this guy - too much to do, too little time!
this fool needs to hire a crisis manager. he keeps putting his foot in his mouth. thank god i dont live in kentucky and have to put up with his foolhardy views and he is stupid enough to say them, btw.
I meant to say campaign manager is, please whoever the new guy is do something about that hair it is awful. He looks like he ready to strum a banjo.
Yeah, that'll help!!!
Jack Conway is going to run an excellent campaign and hold this FOOL Paul to account for his absurd, extreme, 19th-century views. GO JACK!!!
Telling the Randroid that it was safe to tell the world about his views on civil rights for minorities and the disabled and that it was ok to take BP's side regarding the Gulf spill...that was apparently bad advice. You can tell the Randroid is green behind the ears because he hasn't yet learned that he has to create an alter ego that says what the idiot masses want to hear instead of letting slip that he's actually a naive ideologue moron who lives in a daydream world of "wouldn't it be nice if the world worked this way" political theory.
I was just wondering what that thing on his head is. Wombat?