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McCain's Brains Apr 14 2008

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Douglas Holtz-Eakin

Photo by Mandel Ngan

The former Congressional Budget Office head, known as a fiscal hawk, is McCain's top economic dog. The two bonded over McCain's fight against a Boeing plan to lease aircraft tankers to the Air Force.

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Jack Kemp

Photo by Rick Maiman

The former N.F.L. quarterback, congressman, Housing and Urban Development secretary (under George H.W. Bush), and champion supply-sider lines up with McCain on tax cuts.

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Steve Forbes

Photo by Brian Zak

The publisher and erstwhile presidential candidate switched to McCain after Giuliani flopped. Forbes' big push: a flat-tax system in which everyone pays the same rate.

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Peter Peterson

Photo by Manan Vatsyayana

The Blackstone Group co-founder and economic Cassandra has McCain's ear. Peterson has long been an advocate of means-testing entitlement programs. He says he's too rich to get Social Security.

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Carly Fiorina

Photo by Chip East

The former Hewlett-Packard chairwoman is a leader of G.O.P. fundraising efforts for the general election. She is advising McCain on tech and investment issues.

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John Thain

Photo by Saverkin Alexander

The Merrill Lynch boss and former New York Stock Exchange C.E.O. was an early McCain man. If McCain wins, Thain could be a leading candidate for the post of Treasury secretary.

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Phil Gramm

Photo by Charles Dharapak

McCain was one of only a handful of senators to support Gramm's bid for president in 1996. Gramm, who fathered various federal-budget-cutting mandates, is repaying the favor.

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