Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said she plans to "storm" her way to national leadership, no matter who her opponents are. She'll be doing so, in part, with the help of advisors who loyally served former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. 
"If the Prime Minister [Ehud Olmert] runs in the primaries, I'll beat him, too." -- FM Livni
Speaking to her close supporters at her home on Monday, Livni laid out her goals ahead of the coming Kadima party primaries. First, she said, she will "storm" the party leadership and, as Kadima chairwoman, revive the party's political image. Without clarifying what she meant in that regard, Livni went on to say that the following stage would be "to move on to leadership of the state and to return it to itself as well."
Speaking with IDF Army Radio on Tuesday, Livni declared, "If the Prime Minister [Ehud Olmert] runs in the primaries, I'll beat him, too. It seems unlikely that he will be a candidate, but that is his decision to make. I already made mine."
To bolster her campaign, Foreign Minister Livni is recruiting advisors who loyally served former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in what was known as the "Ranch Forum," in reference to Sharon's private Negev estate, Sycamore Ranch. Livni's campaign headquarters can now boast such stars as public relations experts Eyal Arad and Reuben Adler, as well as Attorney Yoram Ravad. Ravad was a key figure in building the Sharon-led coalition governments and, under Sharon's direction, in giving legal shape to the Kadima party at its founding.
In the wake of the latest criminal investigations against Olmert, Kadima has scheduled party primaries for two months from now. The party's election committee is scheduled to meet this week to set a final date for the primaries in mid-September. Prime Minister Olmert has discussed running for re-election, but has not announced his candidacy.
In a recent poll, Livni received support from 47% of those surveyed, compared to 45% for Transportation Minister Sha'ul Mofaz, who has declared his intention to run for party chairman. Parity for Mofaz and Livni, with some recent surveys even giving Mofaz a statistical lead, represents a significant change. All previous polls showed a clear lead for Livni.