Believing that he has become too much of a drag on his campaign, John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, and one of the key components of his campaign and id, has stepped down, the latest casualty of a presidential campaign eager to cauterize damage caused by its ties to lobbyists, age and President Bush.

McCain, who has appeared in most of his commercials and fundraisers, is the highest profile departure from McCain's inner circle since a summer 2007 shake-up cost McCain his campaign manager and chief strategist.

"It not only showed his attachment to the President's policies and indiscreet rhetoric," said McCain spokesman, Tucker Bounds, "but it also underscored his short term memory issues and his desire to keep defense contractors and lobbyists on the public dole."