McCain Aide Says He Will Quit if Obama Gets Nod

Mark McKinnon, a top adviser to Republican presidential front-runner John McCain, says he will quit the campaign if Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination.

McKinnon — a Democrat-turned Republican who was President Bush’s chief media adviser in 2004 — told National Public Radio he would leave the McCain team to avoid involvement in any attacks on Obama.

“I met Barack Obama. I read his book. I like him a great deal,” he said.

“I disagree with him on very fundamental issues. But I think … it would be a great race for the country and I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama.

“I think it would be uncomfortable for me, and I think it would be bad for the McCain campaign.”