Will Senator John McCain of Arizona run for president again, this time as a Democrat? That was the subject of dueling stories in the Washington Monthly and the New Republic last month (see "Today’s Jolt," posted on BostonPhoenix.com, April 23). Now new developments in New Hampshire are adding fuel to the speculation. The Nashua Telegraph has reported that John Weaver, the crack political director of McCain’s 2000 presidential run, is currently in New Hampshire working for Governor Jeanne Shaheen — a Democrat — who hopes to become the next Granite State senator.

"I’m going to do everything I can to help Jeanne Shaheen get elected to the Senate," says Weaver, in an interview with the Phoenix. "I think she represents the mainstream of New Hampshire far better than Bob Smith or John Sununu." Weaver will help Shaheen reach out to moderates and independents, which was also his prime function within the McCain campaign.

Might this be an early gesture on McCain’s behalf to cozy up to a key player in the 2004 Democratic primary? No, says Weaver. "I don’t believe John McCain will switch parties, nor do I think he’ll have an opportunity to run for president again," he says. "And the country’s the worse for it."