Obama advisers looks to manage image

WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- As U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign shifts its focus to the November election, his media aides say they're exerting more discipline on Obama's media access.

Campaign officials said they're trying to maintain control of Obama's image -- now that he's the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee -- by managing his public appearances, The New York Times reported Thursday.

"One of the challenges that we are confronting very directly is dealing with the rumors and the e-mails," senior adviser Anita Dunn said, "and we're going to deal with that very aggressively ... ."

Strategists for Obama said they believe the need to take extra precautions to control his image and protect against attack. While advisers said the campaign remains transparent -- pointing to opening fundraisers to reporters -- they said they've employed a more strategic approach to granting interviews.

"This guy is one of two people who can be president of the United States," said Stuart Stevens, a Republican strategist for President Bush in his 2000 and 2004 campaigns. "I think people expect things to be different when you're the nominee."

The same's true for Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive GOP nominee, Stevens said. "(He's) not going to be able to spend as much time in living rooms."