July 16 (Bloomberg) -- Seven members of Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign press staff have resigned as the Arizona senator shuffles his team amid lagging fund raising and a drop in the polls.

The latest turmoil to hit McCain's bid for the White House follows the resignations last week of campaign manager Terry Nelson and long-time McCain strategist John Weaver.

``Each and every one of us still believes firmly in our hearts that Senator McCain is the best one in the race,'' said Brian Jones, who is stepping down as communications director. ``But the campaign, at this phase, doesn't need a full service press department. It's sad and unfortunate.''

McCain raised $11.2 million for his campaign in the second quarter of this year, short of the $13.1 million he raised in the first three months. He ended June with $2 million in cash available for the primary campaign, compared with $15 million for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and $12 million for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, his two chief rivals among the declared Republican candidates.

As a result, McCain, 70, has scaled back his campaign efforts to just three states: Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, which are among the first states to hold contests for the nomination next year. That is largely the same strategy he had adopted in his failed 2000 White House bid.

``This is the great shrinking of the McCain campaign machine,'' said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report in Washington. ``It's going to be leaner and meaner, I suppose. We'll see if they're more successful. It's not like they have a choice.''

`Not Acrimonious'

Jones said negotiations are under way to bring in Jill Hazel Baker, the campaign's New Hampshire communications director, as his successor. The resignations, he said, ``are not acrimonious departures.''

The other aides who resigned are Danny Diaz, deputy communications director; Matt David, who has been in charge of rapid response; Brian Rogers, research director; Amanda Henneberg, a press assistant in the campaign's Northern Virginia headquarters; Adam Temple, the organization's press secretary in South Carolina, and Tim Miller, the campaign's press secretary in Iowa.

McCain has closely aligned himself with President George W. Bush's strategy in Iraq, which is broadly unpopular with the public.

He has tumbled to third place in most national polls of Republican voters, behind Giuliani and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, who hasn't officially entered the race. Giuliani has the support of 30 percent of self-identified Republicans, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted July 6-8. Thompson came in second with 20 percent, followed by McCain with 16 percent and Romney with 9 percent.

To contact the reporters on this story: Edwin Chen in Washington at echen32@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: July 16, 2007 12:55 EDT