That strategy poses a conundrum for the president, his aides concede.

But his own aides concede that stresses within the staff have made it harder to cope with such headaches.

Her aides concede, however, that it has been the single most damaging development in the campaign.

Soon afterward his aides conceded there was no evidence to support the claim.

And aides concede that the new Government structure will matter little if, as seems likely, many republics continue to go their own way.

An aide conceded to me, "Everyone thought he was lying."

An aide who has been with him for much of the trip conceded, "He's dragging a bit by the end of these intense days."

But in the months since, the aides now concede, fund raising has continued to lag.

In private, his aides concede that Spain's new era may bring much bickering and possible instability.

But the time for talking to allies calmly and kindly, aides readily concede, is most likely a matter of weeks now rather than months.