The End is Near?

I'll just post you the e-mail exchange I had with campaign guru today. It all started...well, it's been going on since Day 1, but this part started when he started tweaking about campaign lit that's not due to go out until early September. He kept talking about some deadline which only he seems to know about. So first is his reply to my question about this mysterious deadline:

In my 30 years of doing this i only contact the candidate directly when i get no response from the candidate's staff.

At the moment the Starr campaign needs at least 3 classic cliche "endorsement" photos: one with jim langsford, 2 more with whoever. the more well known the better but anybody is better than nobody. endorser and endorsee smiling at the camera.

also, it is likely that the ohana photo (with Obama's sister) has a quality problem and we might not be able to use it. if that is the case we will need another one.

What is the situation with your printer? any deadline or scheduling problems? when is the latest you expect to get the photo's done?

Lay out draft should be emailed to us tonight. critique it.

awaiting your response, j

And here is my response:

Here's my response. I don't answer to you. I work for Summer. If you would like to consult with me that's fine, but I don't do what you tell me to do on your schedule. Yes, you are donating your time. So am I. Yes, you have more experience than I do, but I have done this before as well. If you feel that things aren't going right, you're more than welcome to consult with Summer about having me replaced - that is totally your right, but in the meantime, I'm running this campaign and I'm a bit busy making sure everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing than to report to you on everything you think is important.

Now...I'm taking care of the pictures, our layout person is fine and we have to have the lit in our hands ready to be in the envelopes in 7 weeks. If there's not much interference, we can have it done in 2. We don't even have the money to get it printed yet anyway which is another issue I'm still having to deal with. Meanwhile, I need another piece developed to use for the second round of door-to-dooring and I need that well before the piece that's going with the potholders.

I have it covered, Jay.

I have to admit, some of this on my part is ego, but it really is a small part. Most of it is that I just don't need this guy breathing down my neck and he's not helping me do my job. He has good ideas and he's had success with them...and we're using them, but he sucks in managing people...especially people he's not supposed to be managing at all.