Two of Herman Cain’s Top Iowa Staff Resign Just Days After Two New England Staffers Quit

2012 GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain may have a busier holiday weekend than expected as he will need to replace two campaign staffers in Iowa just days after the departure of two key members of his New England staff. CNN:

"Tina Goff, the Iowa organizational director, confirms to CNN that she left the campaign on Friday. Goff also said that another Iowa staffer - Straw Poll coordinator Kevin Hart - resigned that day. The Cain campaign confirmed both developments.

The Cain campaign downplayed the significance of Goff's title. 'She was a junior-level staffer,' claimed Communications Director Ellen Carmichael. She said the campaign had not yet hired a director for the state, but that it soon will.

Goff told CNN that the conservative businessman 'wasn't willing to make the commitment to Iowa necessary to win the [Ames] straw poll.' That contest is seen as an early test of success in Iowa.

Goff added that she was concerned by the amount of money and time the Cain campaign was committing to that straw poll. However, she declined to discuss specifics."

The Iowa exodus comes less than a week after New Hampshire state director, Cain's only staffer in the state, as well as a campaign regional director both resigned.

The news is troubling for the Cain campaign considering it is expected that the former Godfather's Pizza CEO will need to produce strong showings in early Iowa and New Hampshire primaries if he has any hope of making it to the 2012 ticket.

Cain has raised just under $2.5 million in the second quarter according to a campaign press release previewing the candidate's first FEC filing. The fundraising mark is well below all of his 2012 rivals, and it is unclear how much of the sum was donated by Cain himself. ABC News:

"Cain's $2.46 million puts him below all of his GOP rivals that have revealed their fundraising numbers for the second quarter - something Mr. Cain had anticipated.

'I won't have more money than any of the any of the candidates,' he told Cavuto.

Three Republican candidates are neck-in-neck with their second quarter fundraising. Tim Pawlenty raised $4.2 million, Rep Ron Paul raised $4.5 million, and Jon Huntsman raised $4.1, although a portion – less than half - was donated by Huntsman himself.  Mitt Romney's team has been indicating they're on pace to raise about 20 million."

Cain will perhaps be competing with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich for campaign replacements as the fellow 2012 hopeful lost 18 top aides in June.