Top aides desert Ben Carson's sinking ship

Last week, Ben Carson said he was shaking up his presidential campaign. Then he said he wasn't, because he had “100 percent confidence in my campaign team.” On New Year’s Eve, we learn that his top staff looked at their situation on Carson’s fading campaign and decided to take Option A themselves.

Campaign manager Barry Bennett and communications director Doug Watts are both leaving the campaign, and though they released a statement with a bunch of “best wishes” and “respect” yada yada, the back story sounds somewhat messier:

 Armstrong Williams, who is chief among those outside advisers, is out reassuring whatever’s left of the Carson faithful that everything is just fine and dandy. Of course, he’s getting what he wanted in Bennett’s departure.

None of this is hugely important since Carson is about to go from being the flavor of the month before last to being the flavor of the month before the month before last. But it’s good fun to watch a politician of his caliber and insight go through this publicly.