2 Kerry Officials Quit to Protest Firing of Top Aide

In a new blow to his presidential bid, Democratic hopeful John F. Kerry on Tuesday lost his press secretary and deputy finance chief, who quit to protest the ouster of Kerry’s campaign manager.

The resignations overshadowed Veterans Day events that were supposed to highlight Kerry’s Vietnam War service, as well as a long-planned appearance by the candidate on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show,” intended to show a lighter side of the famously dispassionate lawmaker.

The staff turmoil, a drama for two days running, served to underscore the drastic turnabout in Kerry’s campaign fortunes. And if that wasn’t bad enough, there was Triumph the Insult Comic Dog making fun of him on late-night TV.

Early this year, the U.S. senator from Massachusetts was seen as the likely front-runner in the crowded Democratic field. Now, he is struggling to convince campaign donors and supporters that he has more than a fleeting shot at the party’s nomination.

Quitting the campaign Tuesday were Robert Gibbs, the chief spokesman, and Carl Chidlow, the campaign’s deputy finance director. Both had worked previously with Jim Jordan, who was fired Sunday night from his job as Kerry’s campaign chief.

According to inside accounts, the two were among several staffers unhappy with the direction of the campaign, which has been torn for months by internal rancor and competing strategists. A Kerry aide acknowledged that other campaign staffers may soon leave because of Jordan’s firing, but said he did not expect a major exodus between now and January.

The senator said campaign morale was high in spite of the upheaval. He announced the hiring of a new spokeswoman, Stephanie Cutter.

“Notice how fast we filled the slots [of campaign manager, press secretary and deputy finance director]. Done. Today,” Kerry told reporters in Burbank. “We’re moving. We know exactly where we’re going, we know exactly what we’re doing, and if somebody doesn’t want to work there today they shouldn’t be there. It’s that simple.”

Kerry said he would announce “in the next few days” whether he will forgo public financing for presidential candidates, matching former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s attempt to raise substantially more money by relying on private rather than taxpayer money.

Cutter is a former press aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), whose chief of staff, Mary Beth Cahill, joined the Kerry campaign on Monday. Cahill was hired to replace Jordan as part of an effort to “change the dynamics of the campaign,” Kerry said.

On the “Tonight Show,” Kerry wasn’t introduced until after Ross the Intern and a trash-talking puppet named Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Leno, the host, took a few good-natured potshots at Kerry.

“He fired his campaign manager yesterday, which surprised me -- I thought for sure his hairstylist would be the first to go,” said Leno, who recently hosted Dean and Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Aside from Leno’s jokes, the Massachusetts lawmaker had the puppet Triumph’s merciless gibes to contend with before he even took the stage.

“The Terminator can take over the show, but John Kerry, a war veteran, has to follow a friggin’ dog puppet? What’s wrong with America?” said Triumph, to boos from the audience.

Kerry’s stint began with a taped bit of him zooming around the studio parking lot on a motorcycle -- biking is also a hobby of Leno’s -- kicking up dust while wearing a shiny black helmet. Kerry sported a denim shirt and jeans, a brown leather jacket and black boots as he parked the motorcycle on stage.

Kerry seemed slightly shaken by the dog puppet’s jabs, and took a few moments to get settled. He thanked Leno several times for having him on the show while making a few jokes.

“Can you imagine Triumph debating Dick Cheney?” he said.

The televised hijinks were designed to boost Kerry’s fun quotient, said Kelley Benander, the campaign’s deputy communications director.

“I think a lot of voters are familiar with John Kerry’s leadership and experience, his 18 years in the Senate,” Benander said. “But not all of them have had the opportunity to get to know his lighthearted, fun side.”