The Gingrich Campaign Hits Another Bump in the Road

In perhaps the most startling development in Newt Gingrich's rocky candidacy for President, the ex-Speaker's campaign manager resigned today, along with his entire Iowa team and key members of his New Hampshire and South Carolina staffs. In the words of Chris Matthews on Hardball, "I've never seen anything like this." Since the early days of his campaign, Gingrich has faced criticism for claiming that his extramarital affairs resulted from his sense of patriotism, and for his assertion that the Paul Ryan's Budget plan constituted "right wing social engineering." Most recently, in a strange move, Gingrich decided to go on a two-week vacation with his wife out of the country, just as his Republican competitors started revving up their respective campaigns. For many on the Gingrich team, the candidate's overseas gallivant was the breaking point. "The professional team came to the realization that the direction of the campaign they sought and Newt's vision for the campaign were incompatible," said Sonny Perdue, a campaign manager. Adding insult to injury, Perdue signed on with the Pawlenty campaign upon his resignation.