Gingrich staff quits

Do I hear the pleasant sound of a campaign deflating?

Newt Gingrich's top aides resigned en masse Thursday in the first major blowup of the 2012 campaign, delivering what could be a fatal setback to a campaign that has stumbled from the outset. The defections followed a week of heated debate within the Gingrich camp over whether the former House speaker was sufficiently committed to his bid for an unlikely political comeback more than 13 years after his resignation from Congress. The departures included campaign manager Rob Johnson, veteran spokesman Rick Tyler, and all of Mr. Gingrich's top advisers and campaign operatives in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the first big three primary states.

Perhaps disappearing is a better term. Bye, Newt. Next.