Last one out, turn off the lights?

Two more are leaving the McCain team in Iowa.  Tim Miller, McCain’s press secretary in Iowa, and Marlys Popma, McCain’s Iowa Coalitions director, have resigned, effective today.  On Friday, I asked Chuck Larson, McCain’s chief person still on the ground here in Iowa, if he would be leaving.  He replied, via email:  "I am standing with him."  (UPDATE at 11am:  Two sources indicate there are five paid staffers left on Team McCain in Iowa.)

As you’ll see from reading Mr. Miller’s email, the "skip Iowa" scenario seems even more likely given what he wrote.   

Email from Tim Miller to Iowa press corps:

Friends-

All the best-
Tim Miller

In case you missed it last week, here is what campaign advisor Ed Failor, Junior, sent out last week (Thursday) confirming his resignation as well as that of campaign fundraiser senior campaign advisor Karen Slifka: 

…Karen and I both orally agreed to continue with the campaign in our positions in a voluntary capacity for a few months beginning July 1.  I agreed to do this because I believe in the leadership of Terry Nelson and the candidacy of Sen. McCain.  These are the same reasons I agreed to serve the campaign in the beginning. 

…Despite my fondness for Sen. McCain, I decided to resign today because the leadership team I trust and agreed to serve is no longer in place.

Ed Failor, Jr.

I placed a phone call to McCain’s national headquarters this morning.  A fairly frazzled young woman in the press office tried to transfer me to someone and when the call didn’t transfer, she took my name & number down (and hopefully passed the message along).  I’ll update this post if there’s some word from the national folk on their Iowa intentions.  As you may know, the top three people in McCain’s national press office resigned this morning.