Aide's resignation stirs anxiety

For a presidential campaign that launched months ago, an early-stage staff shakeup might not have made headlines or caused supporters to exchange apocalyptic thoughts.

But when Wesley K. Clark's campaign manager, Donnie Fowler, announced Tuesday that he was quitting, a flurry of chatter passed through the websites that are the core of Clark's movement. Was this the end of the world? A minor stumble? A sign that things would now be put right?

It's an indication that growing pains persist in the retired general's campaign -- which, for all of the buzz that surrounds it, has only been in existence for three weeks. While other Democrats started their operations last winter, Clark's new staff has just moved into its headquarters in Little Rock.

"This is a process that most campaigns can go through in the early stages without anyone noticing," said Mark Fabiani, a communications strategist for Clark.

But the debate over Fowler's departure also exemplifies a challenge Clark faces: how to move forward with a professional campaign, without alienating the grass-roots supporters who inspired him to run in the first place.

Many of the volunteers who led the Draft Clark movement have taken on official campaign roles, and say they're pleased with the work so far. "This has been the best integration of grass-roots and traditional campaigning that I can possibly imagine," said Josh Margulies, a cofounder of Draft Wesley Clark, who was in Phoenix yesterday to help prepare Clark for tonight's debate.

But among some volunteers on the outskirts of the movement -- who have spent hours sharing thoughts online and canvassing in the flesh -- Fowler's departure seemed to symbolize deeper concerns. Some saw Fowler as an advocate for use of the Internet, and wondered what role draft leaders will now play compared with aides who are veterans of the Clinton and Gore campaigns.

And some question whether, now that Fowler is gone, the campaign will fully embrace the exchange of ideas they like to call "open source politics."

Clark has taken steps to show his appreciation for online campaigning, such as granting an interview with a popular blogger last week. Still, his staff is struggling to achieve what former Vermont governor Howard Dean has largely managed to accomplish: making volunteers feel that they're integral to the effort. The Clark campaign has been pushing some top-down messages that are anathema to Web-based activists, said Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, 32, who started the DraftClark.com website last spring, before he became a consultant to Dean.

"You have a team of consultants completely at odds with what a real net-roots effort is all about," Moulitsas said. But John Hlinko, another Draft Wesley Clark cofounder who now works for the campaign, said those concerns are largely misconception. Some supporters fear that "thousands of cryogenically frozen campaign specialists have been thawed" to work for Clark, Hlinko said. But he insisted "it's much more akin to an Internet startup," in which professional managers work with entrepreneurs. Of course, a late entry can also be an advantage: Controversies can be chalked up to growing pains, too. Clark got a flurry of negative attention yesterday when the Washington Post suggested he might have violated campaign finance laws by taking money for recent university speeches, scheduled before he announced his candidacy.Fabiani said Clark has not violated any laws, because he earned much of his living giving speeches before he decided to run for office. Clark has tried to cancel his upcoming commitments, Fabiani said, but five groups would not release him from his contracts, and Clark has no plans to deliver those speeches for free. "Many of the other candidates in the race still hold their regular jobs, still paid by the taxpayers in many cases," Fabiani said.

Joanna Weiss can be reached at weiss@globe.com.