Beginning of the end: Gingrich cuts staff, fires manager

Wait, Newt Gingrich is still running for president? twitter.com/#!/mikeallen/s…—
Colin Campbell (@BKcolin) March 28, 2012

$50/photo only goes so far "@mikeallen: breaking on Politico: Gingrich laying off 1/3 of staff/forced out his manager to focus on convention—
Kelly (@kellyau98) March 28, 2012

The beginning of the end has begun. We knew it was bound to happen, but were just waiting for the time it actually did. Gingrich has been slacking in nationwide polls for several weeks now, even hardening his third place position in the delegate race.

From POLITICO tonight:

Newt Gingrich is cutting back his campaign schedule, will lay off about a third of his cash-strapped campaign’s full-time staff, and has forced out his manager as part of what aides are calling a “big-choice convention” strategy, communications director Joe DeSantis told POLITICO. Michael Krull, a former advance man and a college friend of Callista Gingrich’s who took over the campaign after a staff exodus in June, was replaced last weekend by Vince Haley, who has worked for Gingrich for nine years and currently is deputy campaign manager and policy director. “We’re focusing exclusively on what it’ll take to win what we’re going to be calling a big-choice convention in August,” DeSantis said in a phone interview Tuesday night.

BREAKING: Big yawns are heard in reaction to the Politico Gingrich news—
Bob (@coldblueAZ) March 28, 2012

RT @IAmJoelWest: Gingrich cuts staff and is charging $50 a photo. Next fundraising choice: will eat a bug for a nickel.—
Mark Brooks (@MarkBrooksVA) March 28, 2012

Oh! Newt Gingrich's campaign manager was the problem and not the candidate. Gotcha!—
Joe Brooks (@joebrooks) March 28, 2012

Gingrich is firing his political staff and just keeping the book tour? #gopfreakshow2012—
Latin Philo (@LatinPhilo) March 28, 2012

Sorry Newt, it comes with the territory.

Twitchy will continue to monitor the situation and update this post as needed.

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