THE FURTHER TRAVAILS...

THE FURTHER TRAVAILS OF THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN. Hold that talk of a comeback, says The Washington Times:

Sen. John McCain's troubled presidential campaign organization is imploding in Michigan, senior Republicans in the state say. Attorney General Mike Cox has told state party officials that he is resigning, possibly today, as Michigan chairman of McCain campaign, several top Michigan Republicans told The Washington Times. Mr. Cox wanted to withdraw his support because of a "disagreement in the direction of the campaign," a state Republican activist close to the campaign confided. "He has a call into him to personally talk to him, but I'm not sure if he has heard back or not." A meltdown in Michigan could presage the early demise of the McCain effort nationally because Michigan was the one big state that the Arizona senator won, with independents' help, in his 2000 Republican nomination contest with George W. Bush. The McCain campaign is also struggling nationally, having overspent early and been forced to fire most of its staff. "The organization is nonexistent — it's not raising money," Mr. Cox complained to a fellow Michigan Republican, who in turn spoke with The Times.

The smart money in Democratic circles is on the G.O.P. contest narrowing into a Rudy Giuliani vs. Mitt Romney race.

--Garance Franke-Ruta