The Candidate's Wife

Yesterday's "Newtiny" that left Newt Gingrich without a campaign team apparently had a lot to do with the candidate's wife, according to Fred Barnes:

The problem was the wife. Aides to Newt Gingrich have resigned from his presidential campaign in protest of what they felt was a takeover by Callista Gingrich, the candidate's wife since 2000.

The euphemism offered by departing staffers was they disagreed with Gingrich's "strategy" for the campaign. Indeed, they did disagree. But it was a strategy -- a part-time campaign, in effect -- that Gingrich's wife favored. . . .

The last straw for the campaign staff was Gingrich's decision to go on a two-week cruise in the Mediterranean, from which he returned on Tuesday. His advisers urged him not to go and take so much time from a campaign that was already in trouble. But his wife wanted him to go and she won the argument.

As a result, the morale of the Gingrich staff fell sharply. And fundraising declined as well with Gingrich absent from the day-to-day media coverage of the campaign.

While Gingrich was away, his aides talked among themselves about the course of the campaign. They wanted him to commit to seeking the Republican nomination on a full-time basis, including time spent in personal fundraising by Gingrich himself. Gingrich balked at this. His wife wanted him to pursue the presidency at less strenuous clip.

Many of those aides are said to be headed for Texas and a potential Rick Perry campaign. Newt says he'll continue, but he's done.