Washington ? A new center of power has emerged inside John Kerry’s presidential campaign, with several veteran Democratic operatives moving quickly to consolidate their influence and effectively take over the nominee’s daily message and strategy in the six weeks until the election.

In recent weeks, an influx of talent has transformed the top leadership of the campaign: Joe Lockhart, a Clinton White House spokesman, is now overseeing Kerry’s efforts to shape his themes against Bush and sharpen his defense against Republican attacks. John Sasso, a sharp-elbowed operative with long ties to Kerry, is running a large part of the daily operation from Kerry’s campaign plane.

Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., talks with Army National Guard members at the National Guard Association of the United States general conference in Las Vegas. Kerry spoke to the group Thursday.

Michael J. Whouley, whom Kerry has described as a “magical” strategist, is making the calls on where to spend the party’s money and the candidate’s time, according to a half-dozen Kerry campaign sources.

Robert Shrum, the most powerful voice inside the campaign for much of the year, has seen his influence diminish significantly in the shake-up, they said. Mary Beth Cahill, the campaign manager, remains in charge of day-to-day operations at headquarters, but some Democrats say her strategic influence has been somewhat diluted by the elevation of other advisers.

The campaign dismisses the notion that a “shake-up” has taken place, saying that the recent additions are part of a long-standing plan to add talent as Election Day neared.