McCain's Secret Meeting With Murphy

On Sunday, Sen. John McCain took a meeting with an hold hand -- his 2000 strategist, Mike Murphy.

As the Politico reported,

The two discussed the political landscape and Murphy offered his appraisal of McCain's coming general election battle against Barack Obama.

Though he played a lead role in McCain's 2000 White House run, Murphy has thus far had no formal involvement this campaign. Having worked for McCain and then on Mitt Romney's 2002 gubernatorial bid, Murphy stayed out of the GOP primary this year.

Sources with close, but indirect knowledge of the meeting say that campaign manager Rick Davis, who does not get along with Mr. Murphy, was not aware of the meeting in advance. That's one reason why the meeting took place in McCain's Arlington townhouse. The meeting, according to one source who knows, focused on the direction of McCain's campaign. It is not clear whether McCain asked Murphy to come aboard in any capacity or whether he expressed any dissatisfaction with those who run the campaign now.

"A social visit," was all Murphy would say about the meeting.