From yesterday’s AP meltdown. I know we’ve covered it but the key bits really have to be heard to be believed. The part where he talks about his “soulmate” is where I finally reached my Don Corleone/Johnny Fontane “you can act like a man!” point. I’m almost surprised he didn’t break into song. The guy’s clearly a wreck, and his judgment’s sufficiently impaired that he thinks three-hour interviews with reporters about his love life are a good idea. Even the head of the South Carolina GOP now says it’s time to go, and that was before he suddenly and suspiciously decided that no, in fact, he’s not going to release any financial records related to who paid for his trips to Argentina.

Luckily, if he does go, there’s a superb candidate waiting in the wings to replace him.

“Jenny has one of the brighter and sharpest political minds of anybody I’ve dealt with. I didn’t always agree with her because she was so loyal to her husband and his agenda,” said Katon Dawson, the former chairman of the South Carolina GOP and a one-time Sanford ally.

“I was always much more comfortable dealing with Jenny, because I have very seldom in my political life dealt with someone as efficient as she was,” Dawson added…

Twice, Dawson invited the first lady to give an address on messaging to a campaign school for South Carolina Republicans. Twice she emerged ranked as one of the school’s top speakers.

“Next to listening to Karl Rove speak with the door closed, it was pretty close,” Dawson said. “Jenny’s one of the best operatives I’ve ever seen. She can move a message, she can move an agenda.”

I’m ready to donate. Click the image to wince.

Update: Here’s almost five minutes of audio from the AP interview. I’m afraid to listen.