Sawyer jumps the USS Sanford

And so it begins... Quick: What do Mark Sanford's Presidential chances and his communications director have in common? They're both gone.

Joel Sawyer, who has worked for Sanford for 6.5 years, has announced that today is his last day on the job for the Luv Guv.

Sawyer, who is leaving for an unspecified private-sector job, had this to say, according to The State:

Sawyer said his decision to leave his $65,000-a-year job had nothing to do
with Sanford’s recent six-day disappearance and the Republican governor’s
subsequent disclosure of an affair with an Argentine woman.

“I want to be crystal clear that my departure is purely about what's
best for me and my family on a personal and financial level,” Sawyer said in a
statement. “I wish Mark and the rest of my talented and dedicated colleagues the
best."

Nothing to do with that recent disaster? Uh...yeah...I guess Joel expects us to believe that he was really going to quit one the GOP's 2012 front-runners before all that came out because it was in his and his family's best interest back in early-June. Right. Hey, Joel...go sell crazy somewhere else. We're all full up here.