"Since when is it unprincipled politics to use a news source? "
They made up a lie from the news, no one in the media said Carson was actually dropping out - but Team Ted said that. And they used that lie on caucus night. That is what Ted apologized for - he actually said "that was
our mistake" and his team should have contacted Carson.
Don't equivocate and obfuscate away the lie Team Ted mad up and used.
Carson was on Hannity last week and said he’s a pragmatist and that if he didn’t do well in Iowa & NH he wouldn’t stick around long. CNN got the scoop from Carson’s own people and by inference opined that this wasn’t good news. So what if Ted’s people made that same inference to try and attract his supporters.
But if calling Cruz a liar is what you have to tell yourself to try and help build support for Trump then have at it. Just admit that Trump’s name calling (Carson’s a psychopath) is a sign of a weakness.