As much as I don't want to sound unhelpful, it's time for a little tough love. If anyone thinks McCain raising $15 million in March is good news - and crucially, just $4M of it from online and direct mail - then they're probably part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

What stands out from the announcement is the sense that they've thrown in the towel when it comes to fundraising for John McCain 2008. Read between the lines, and it sure looks like they're putting all their chips on RNC Victory, which can raise in $25,000 increments, and a helping hand from Team Romney. They're also taking public money in the general, foreclosing any chance of the grassroots funding the campaign if Obama breaks his public funding promise.

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The problem is that no one in the high command seriously believes that the online campaign can be as big and strategically important as Finance, or Political, or Communications. The McCain campaign needs to start by giving the eCampaign the same operational leeway in scheduling the candidate as the other divisions have - even if it's just two minutes a day for an authentic McCain video blog that breaks news and creates value. They need to be given the authority to rewrite the rules, with real-time fundraising transparency that lays bare the urgency of the situation and gives the grassroots what they need to ride to the rescue. Grassroots empowerment must be made a central ethos of the campaign.