Drudge reports that the McCain campaign is conducting a major retooling.

McCain is revamping his campaign finance effort, including adopting big-dollar fundraising techniques pioneered by President Bush, and is delaying his official campaign announcement in order to deliver what his aides said would be a major speech seeking to explain his support for President Bush's policies in Iraq.

The change in course by McCain's campaign comes at a time of "sharp anxiety triggered among McCain's supporters following the release of numbers showing him trailing both his competitors in raising money. These changes also come as polls show continued unease with McCain among Republicans."

McCain the former front-runner has seriously lagged Romney and Giuliani in fund-raising--12 million to his rivals 20 and 23 million dollar totals for the past quarter.

McCain is no quitter, and while he thinks he has a chance, he'll keep plugging along, but he should seriously think about quitting at this point. A candidate with the kind of national reputation he has being in the position he is at this early date is pretty much a deathknell. He's not suddenly going to get more popular, particularly in view of the baggage he's dragging behind him. Thanks to McCain-Feingold, candidates have to raise nearly 10 times the money they did in 2000. So much for getting the money out of politics.

McCain's problem is simple--his rivals are simply more attractive candidates than he is. Romney and Giuliani simply have better leadership credentials and a whole host of minor candidates have better conservative bona fides.

He's yesterday's man.

My guess is that he doesn't last through June.