» The good ship Newt continues to sink: It was just twelve days ago that the Gingrich campaign suffered a high-level exodus of staffers. Now comes the news that two more have jumped ship — fundraising director Jody Thomas, and fundraising consultant Mary Heltman. If there’s one thing a presidential campaign needs, it’s having its money in order — departing staffers, however, accused Gingrich of having less interest in political spending than on chartering luxury jets. We’re at the point of considering this campaign little more than an exercise in raising Newt’s profile — he just doesn’t seem serious about it.
A bad day for big Newt: Want to know what can’t fill your heart with confidence heading into a Presidential primary? When your press secretary tells the AP he’s resigning, and your campaign manager, along with a spate of aides throughout Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina follow suit. Gingrich has said that he will continue to run, undeterred by this “rats fleeing the sinking ship” sort of moment. As it happens, Gingrich wasn’t even in the country a few days ago — he’s on vacation with his wife near the Greek Isles (which, in the midst of a campaign in such crisis, doesn’t make him seem that serious about all this). source
» Protest through departure: Two prominent Republican legislators from the state of New Hampshire have decided to call it quits, resignations in protest of the hard-line, anti-union agenda of the state’s House Speaker, Bill O’Brien. They are House Deputy Majority Leader Mike Quandt (whose father, Rep. Marshall Quandt, was removed from a leadership position for failing to support a union-busting amendment), and House Whip Tim Copeland. Said Quandt the younger: “I cannot sit by and participate in a leadership team that is bent on destroying the strong labor force and good benefits that we have in our state. I cannot condone the incredible disrespect that Bill O’Brien has shown to other members of our caucus who are trying to represent their constituents.” (h/t ThinkProgress)
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