Quote of the Day (March 31, 2012)

Rep. Jack Kingston, (R-GA), speaking for Newt Gingrich's Congressional backers:

“We believe that Newt staying in there is very helpful to the conservative cause.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Sunday Schedule - 4/1/12

Newt will be interviewed on Face the Nation
Sunday, April 1
CBS News
Check your local listings for time.

Check the former Speaker's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Video: Newt Gingrich addresses Wisconsin Faith & Freedom Coalition

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 30, 2012)

Vivian Berryhill, at Soul Voice:

“So... for Gingrich to unleash [Vince] Haley at this stage of the political process indicates Newt has only just begun to fight.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Saturday Schedule - 3/31/12

The Gingrich campaign continues in Wisconsin Saturday:

Newt speaks to the Wisconsin Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Presidential Kick-Off
10:00am to 11:00am CDST
Country Springs Hotel
Grand Ballroom
Waukesha, WI
Click here to reserve a free ticket.

Check the former Speaker's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Gingrich: As of April 1, U.S. will have world's highest corporate tax rate

Newt was interviewed by Greta Van Susteren on Fox News' "On The Record" Wednesday night:


Editor's note: This is raw video, in which a technician walks into the picture and adjusts Newt's microphone while the interview is taking place. After a short interval where there is no audio, the interview begins again. The second (and final) take begins at the 1:29 mark.
- JP

Newt: ‘I actually think ideas matter’

The former Speaker of the House spoke at Georgetown University Wednesday:


Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 29, 2012)

Warren E. Miller, at The Baltimore Sun:

“If you believe that we need truly bold solutions to solve the fundamental problem of too much government, there's only one candidate in this race who's proven he can do it. On Tuesday, Maryland has the chance to make a stand for real change by supporting Newt Gingrich.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Friday Schedule - 3/30/12 (Updated)

The Gingrich campaign continues in Wisconsin Friday:

Rally at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with Newt and Callista
11:45am to 12:45pm CT
Kolf Sports Complex, Rooms 102A and 102B
785 High Ave
Oshkosh, WI
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Newt and Callista visit the Newt 2012 Green Bay HQ
2:30pm to 3pm CT
1136 W. Mason Street
Green Bay, WI 54303
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Green Bay Brats & Beer Rally with Newt and Callista
4:00pm to 5:00pm
Kroll’s West Restaurant
1990 South Ridge Road
Green Bay, WI 54304
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Update: Newt will be interviewed by Greta van Susteren
10:00pm EDST / 9:00pm CDST
Fox News

Check the former Speaker's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Quote of the Day Honorable Mention #66

“Stay” Edition
*


Ron Reale, at Coach Is Right:

“It is now more obvious than ever that Newt Gingrich should stay in this race. If for no other reason he needs to do so to keep repeating his questions and answers on fuel. Over the coming months he needs to get others to repeat and spread the truth about our oil capacities and this is the way to do it. Keeping the debate going will spotlight the current debacle that is the Administration’s oil policy, the effects of Obama’s unemployment rates and the rest of the economic questions that plague us because of Obama, front and center in the MSM and the people’s minds.
Newt need do nothing else. He could get elected on this one issue.”

JMS, at The Red Side of Life:

“As long as nobody gets the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination on the first ballot, Newt can win. In fact, he would be the most adept at maneuvering at a brokered convention. That is why it is critical that you stay with him and get him to Tampa!”

The Editors, at PolitiAC:

“Newt Gingrich has a life long history of accomplishment. His leadership in Washington helped save Medicare from going bankrupt and brought new attention to prevention, wellness, and research. Time magazine boldly claimed, ‘Leaders make things possible. Exceptional leaders make them inevitable. Newt Gingrich belongs in the category of the exceptional.’ Newt Gingrich was Time Magazine’s Man of the Year in 1995 and the Washington Times singled him out as ‘the indispensable leader.’ Newt Gingrich is already taking suggestions from the American people about what he should do and is truly interested in learning from people what they want the role of their government to be. Who wouldn’t love to watch Newt Gingrich debate Barack Obama?”

Doug Giles, at Townhall.com:

“I voted for Newt in the Florida primary, hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, we’d get to see Gingrich dust Obama in the presidential debates.”

Robert J. Vickers, at PennLive.com:

“Speaker after speaker at the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference that convened Friday and ended Saturday hammered home their common-held desire to oust President Barack Obama from the White House in November... Speaking at his conference-closing address, Gingrich, the former House speaker who was born in Harrisburg and grew up in Hummelstown, drew a warm greeting that rose when he directed his most damning vitriol to Obama’s energy policies.”

Sean Collins Walsh, at The Dallas Morning News:

“Despite mounting pressure on Newt Gingrich to withdraw from the GOP presidential race, his backers in the Texas congressional delegation are sticking by the former House speaker. Reps. Michael Burgess , R-Lewisville , and Joe Barton, R-Arlington, both said this week that they will support Gingrich for as long as he is in the race.”

Rick Tyler, of Winning Our Future PAC:

“He says he's going to the convention, unless there's some extraordinary circumstance, I believe that he'll go to the convention... We sort of had an open convention back in 1976, probably didn't have a full-blown one until back in the fifties. And so no one knows what it's going to be like. Is there a path for Newt to win? Absolutely... If Mitt Romney does not arrive in Tampa with the requisite number of delegates, I suspect there will be an initial vote and if he were to fail that vote I don't think there'd be a lot of support for him on the second or subsequent votes, and therefore it would be a race between Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. And in that situation I can imagine that Newt Gingrich could emerge.”

RC Hammond, Newt2012 campaign spokesman:

“Our congressional supporters urged Newt to stay in to Tampa and educate people now that the nomination can be won on the floor. The group was also insistent Newt keep pushing forward a positive vision for the country. They see it as key to stopping an Obama second term.”

Joe DeSantis, Newt2012 campaign communications director:

“This big choice convention phase will be focused on two goals. 1. Affecting the national dialogue to show that Gingrich is the most capable of defeating Obama, by leading on issues that put the president on defense – like Newt’s $2.50 Gas Plan; and 2. A parallel communications strategy directly to the delegates... We believe that if Governor Romney is unable to secure 1,144 by the last primaries, he will be unable to do so at the convention where the vast majority of the delegates are conservative. That creates [an] environment at the convention where Gingrich can emerge as the one candidate who can unite social, economic and national security conservatives (a fact which is borne out by polling).”

Charles P. Pierce, liberal columnist, at Esquire:

“The Republican fixers want Gingrich out so that they can get busy creating a meretricious narrative about Romney that they can pitch to as many of the gullible rubes as will buy it... So Newt should stay in just to make that job harder because, really, what does he owe to any of these guys?”

Somos Republicans, via TucsonCitizen.com:

“We believe Newt Gingrich should stay in the Republican primary race amidst calls from few Republicans who want him to withdraw. Why are these few asking Newt Gingrich to withdraw from the race when Ron Paul has the least amount of delegates? We believe Newt Gingrich is on the right path. In fact, a poll shows Santorum and Gingrich work better together at blocking and bleeding out Mitt Romney. Somos Republicans never supported RomneyCare modeled after ObamaCare and it is imperative for a true conservative to win the Republican nominee. Furthermore, both Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum will never be able to receive double digit Latino voting support during the 2012 general elections... Somos Republicans is the largest and was the only Hispanic Republican Grassroots organization in the nation that stood tall and defended Latinos and immigrant rights when Arizona’s Governor signed anti-immigrant SB 1070 bill. George W. Bush managed to win his presidency when 44% Latinos voted for him, and the Republican Party cannot win a Presidential election without Latino support; therefore, we believe it is imperative for Newt Gingrich to see this primary fight all the way through for the sake of the GOP.”

Caroline Bankoff, at New York Magazine:

“Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Mitt Romney ‘Speak Frequently’... On the heels of this morning's report that the latter two had a ‘secret meeting’ this weekend, a Gingrich spokesman has confirmed that the trio is often in communication. Poor Ron Paul must feel really left out!”

Ralph Z. Hallow, at The Washington Times:

“Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich met secretly with GOP rival Mitt Romney on Saturday, according to a source close to the campaign, but the former House speaker says he has made no deal to end his bid for the GOP nomination... Mr. Gingrich, responding to questions from The Washington Times, did not deny the meeting, but explicitly said he hasn’t been offered a position in a potential Romney administration in exchange for dropping out. Nor, he said, is there a deal to have Mr. Romney’s big donors help retire Mr. Gingrich’s campaign debt...”

Christian Heinze, at The Hill:

“Newt Gingrich said Tuesday night that he'll spend his own money, ‘if necessary,’ to keep his campaign going.”

Mark America:

“Yes, I Still Support Newt Gingrich... Of course, these days one of the big reasons to support Newt Gingrich is that he’s the one candidate who is putting the focus on the cost of fuels, and energy generally, and how the lack of new development is killing our economy. This should be evident to any first year college student who has taken the most rudimentary course in macroeconomics, but for some reason, neither Obama nor the other Republican challengers seem quite able to grasp how important this is to families, and to the economy at large... Gingrich is also much more realistic about the scope of the task before us... Romney starts from the position that the government is doing what it should, whereas Gingrich starts from a different point of reference, first asking whether the government should do a thing at all... I can’t help but notice that the one candidate who has ever led any substantial movement of change is the same person who took an unfairly bad rap in the 1990s for leading such change. I still remain committed to this principle, while others hop from one campaign to another, and yes, it true that Gingrich has a hard road to the nomination, but he’s not only the first to admit it, but also to point out that this is a reason we conservatives mustn’t fear an open (or ‘brokered’) convention: Nothing worth doing is ever easy.”

- JP

ICYMI: ‘20 to 1’ PAC Ad

In case you missed it, this ad from the Winning Our FutureWinning Our Future PAC first aired in late December, but it seems especially appropriate now, at a time when the GOP establishment is doing everything it can to get its candidate coronated before half the nation's Republicans have even had a chance to vote in their states' primaries:


- JP

Quote of the Day (March 28, 2012)

David Brody, at CBN's The Brody File:

“We’ve heard a lot about how if Newt Gingrich gets out of the race that will benefit Rick Santorum. But a new CNN poll doesn’t suggest that at all. In fact, it suggests Mitt Romney would increase his lead.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Thursday Schedule - 3/29/12

Speaker Gingrich will join Callista in Wisconsin Thursday:

Callista will visit St. Roman’s Catholic School
10:30am to 11:45am CDST
1810 West Bolivar Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53221

Callista will visit with the Milwaukee & Waukesha County Republican Party
1:30pm to 2:00pm CDST
Republican Party of Milwaukee County Office
1488 South 84th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53214
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Marquette Rally with Newt and Callista
7:30pm to 8:30pm CDST
Marquette University
Weaver Auditorium
1250 W. Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Check the former Speaker's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

The Gingrich Letter: Cheaper American alternatives are already here

In his regular column for Human Events, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich reports that those long-haul trucking companies that are in the process of converting their fleets from diesel fuel to natural gas are gaining a competitive cost advantage on their competitors:

As President Obama is spending billions of taxpayer dollars to prop up his preferred sources of energy—solar, wind, and algae -- American truckers are offering a lesson in transitioning to new sources of fuel in the real world.

Without even being ordered to do so by President Obama, trucking companies are starting to convert parts of their long-haul fleets to natural gas, an American energy source of which we have more than a hundred years’ domestic supply. And Clean Energy Fuels, in cooperation with Chesapeake Energy, is investing tens of millions to build more than 150 liquefied natural gas (LNG) stations to service them.

America’s truckers and energy producers are doing all of this without half-trillion-dollar loan guarantees from the federal government. They’re doing it without the skyrocketing taxpayer giveaways the president has offered his favorite “greenback energy” pet projects.

They’re doing it for one simple reason: it makes sense for their bottom lines.

In my newsletter several weeks ago, I wrote of the incredible increase in America’s estimated supply of natural gas in the last few years, and the resulting collapse in its price. In 2008, the average price was $7.97 per thousand cubic feet. The spot price last Friday was roughly $2.07. That’s about a 75 percent drop in price in just four years, attributable in large part to improvements in technology which have made more gas recoverable than ever before.

As a result, natural gas today is almost 90 percent cheaper than oil on an energy equivalent basis. That adds up to between $1.50 and $2.00 per gallon cheaper than diesel. With natural gas less expensive relative to oil than it has ever been, many public transportation and urban truck fleets have already converted to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). And with diesel prices nearing record highs, the rationale for long-haul trucking companies to convert part of their fleets to LNG is more compelling every day.

[Read More]

As the number of truckers converting to natural gas increases, the demand for refiners to make diesel fuel will abate, allowing them to refine more gasoline. This will increase the gasoline supply, which in turn will ease the pressure on rising gasoline prices at the pump. Speaker Gingrich points out that all of this is taking place as a result of market forces "right under the president’s nose," without any federal mandate from an Obama administration convinced that only government can solve America's energy problems.

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 27, 2012)

Hayley Peterson, at the Washington Examiner:

“Newt Gingrich courted Maryland voters on Tuesday by criticizing Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposal to raise gasoline taxes, saying it's politically insensitive and ‘very anti-working American.’”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Wednesday Schedule - 3/28/12

Callista campaigns in Wisconsin, and Speaker Gingrich will be in Washington, D.C. Wednesday:

Callista will visit Sunset Elementary
10:00am to 11:00am CDST
Sunset Elementary
18935 Hobson Street
Whitehall, WI 54773

Callista will visit Gundersen Lutheran Hospital
1:00pm to 2:00pm CDST
Gunderson Lutheran
1900 South Avenue
LaCrosse, WI 54601

Callista will meet with the Republican Party of Monroe County
3:00pm to 3:30pm CDST
Colonial Bowling & Banquet Center
1415 West HWY 16
Sparta, WI 54656
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Newt will speak at Georgetown University
5:00pm to 6:00pm EDST
Gaston Hall (3rd floor of Healy Hall)
Georgetown University
37th & O Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20057
Note: This event is free to attend but a school ID is required. Those without a Georgetown ID must RSVP to kpreskenis@newt.org.

Cocktails with Callista
6:30pm to 8pm CDST
The Madison Club
5 East Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53703

Check the former Speaker's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Newt Gingrich: High court may strike down entire ObamaCare bill

The former Speaker was interviewed on "The O'Reilly Factor" Tuesday evening, and he thinks if the Supreme Court strikes down the individual mandate, then the justices will likely declare the entire ObamaCare bill unconstitutional as well:


- JP

Gingrich: Russian missile demands ‘a clear & present danger’ to U.S. security

Newt Gingrich issued the following statement Tuesday concerning Obama’s “flexibility” in defending America and her allies:

The President’s remark to his Russian counterpart that he would have more “flexibility” on ballistic missile defense after the election underscores how dangerous an Obama re-election would be. The President promised the Senate during the ratification debate on the New START Treaty he would not compromise on the Russian demand to limit US ballistic missile defense. Now we find out that promise was nothing more than empty words. The Russian demands, including ballistic missile deployment restrictions, limits on the technological capabilities of our missiles, and joint control over launch decisions, if agreed to by the US government; constitute a clear-and-present danger to American security.

Background: The Russians are seeking the following:

1. A legally binding agreement to limit future US ballistic missile defense;
2. The Russians seek to impose deployment restrictions on US sea-based ballistic missile defense systems including the deployment of Aegis-class missile defense ships from the Black Sea – the path over which Iranian ICBMs would have to travel to reach the US;
3. The Russians seek joint control of a decision to launch ballistic missile defense interceptors – effectively “outsourcing” life-or-death” decisions about American security to the Kremlin;
4. Restrictions on the capability of US defensive missiles to prevent them from being able to shoot down ICBMs. This would be implemented by imposing performance limitations on US interceptors – the velocity (at burnout, Vbo) may not exceed 4-km/sec. This figure reinstates the limitation derived from the now defunct ABM Treaty of 1972. The Obama administration would use these agreements with Russia to effectively recreate the constraints of the ABM Treaty.

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 26, 2012)

Boudica BPI:

“This is why we need Newt…”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Tuesday Schedule - 3/27/12 (Updated)

While Callista campaigns in Wisconsin, Speaker Gingrich will be in Maryland Tuesday:

Callista will speak to the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce
9:00am to 10:00am CDST
Entrepreneurial and Education Center
Conference Room
100 N. 72nd Street
Wausau, WI
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Callista will visit Roosevelt Elementary
11:30am to 12:30pm CDST
Roosevelt Elementary
2200 Wisconsin Avenue
Plover, WI 54467

Update: Newt visits Ron George Jewler
10:50am to 11:15am EDST
Ron George Jeweler
205 Main Street
Annapolis, MD

Update: Newt has lunch at Chick & Ruth’s
11:30am to 12:30pm EDST
165 Main Street
Annapolis, MD 21401

Callista will speak to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Young Republicans
3:30pm to 4:30pm CDST
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
900 Reserve Street
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Newt will speak at Salisbury University
3:00pm to 4:00pm EDST
Salisbury University in the Great Hall
Halloway Hall
1101 Camden Ave
Salisbury, MD 21801
Note: This event is not open to the public. Campus community must have school ID to attend.

Update: Newt will be interviewed on The O’Reilly Factor
8:00pm EDST / 7:00pm CDST
Fox News

Check the former Speaker's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Newt Gingrich: Obama will ‘sell out’ our defense system

The former Speaker appeared on Fox News' "Hannity" Monday night:


- JP

Newt: Obama's basic policies are ‘appeasement, weakness & apology’

On "Your World" Monday on Fox News, Newt Gingrich was asked by host Neil Cavuto about Rick Santorum’s use of a curse word during an exchange with a New York Times reporter. The former speaker was inclined to give his GOP rival a pass, but he found plenty of red meat to barbeque in President Obama's "hot mic" comments to Russian President Medvedev:

“Look, I think people get tired … In my career I’ve made a number of mistakes, things I wish I hadn’t said or done. I suspect whatever damage is done to him is a lot less than the damage Barack Obama just did by being caught on microphone promising to sell out our missile defense right after the election.”

[Read More]

Gingrich questioned whether Obama has had similar conversations with other countries, including Iran.

-JP

Gingrich: Obama reelection ‘would be a disaster’ for the U.S.

Newt speaking at Thursday's Baton Rouge Tea Party Presidential Forum & Straw Poll:


- JP

Quote of the Day (March 25, 2012)

John Ruberry, at Marathon Pundit:

“My vote in the Illinois Primary was for...Newt Gingrich”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Monday Schedule - 3/26/12

While Callista campaigns in Wisconsin, Speaker Gingrich will be in Delaware Monday:

Newt will call in to Rick Jensen’s radio show
1:30pm EDST / 12:30pm CDST
WDEL, Wilmington, DE
Listen live here

Callista will visit EP Rock Elementary School
3:00pm to 4:00pm CDST
EP Rock Elementary School
340 13th Street South
Hudson, WI
Note: Mrs. Gingrich will take a tour of the school and read “Sweet Land of Liberty” to students.

Newt will be interviewed by Wolf Blitzer
4:00pm EDST / 3:00pm CDST
CNN

Newt will be interviewed by Neil Cavuto
4:30pm EDST / 3:30pm CDST
Fox News

3rd District Welcome Home Meet & Greet with Callista
6:30pm to 8:00pm CDST
Northwoods Brew Pub
3560 Oakwood Mall Drive
Eau Claire, WI
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Newt will speak to the New Castle, Sussex & Kent County GOP Member Meeting
7:00pm to 8:30pm EDST
Fire House
1225 Old Lancaster Pike
Hockessin, DE 19707

Check the former Speaker's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Newt: Great political parties are not ‘built on sand’

Newt Gingrich was the closing speaker at Saturday's Pennsylvania Leadership Conference:


Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 24, 2012)

Mark America:

“Newt Knocks It Out of the Park on the Etch-a-Sketch Candidate... I wasn’t surprised to see Newt Gingrich pick up this theme, but that he did it so effectively and on such short notice is really just another testament to his mental horsepower.”

- JP

Video: Severely Sketchy Romney

Visit SketchyRomney.com

- JP

Newt Gingrich: Romney's primary wins come at a heavy price

Newt was interviewed by Piers Morgan on CNN Thursday night:

Why he's staying in the race:

_

On the tragedy of the Trayvon Martin case:

_

On the use of racism by Democrats:


- JP

Quote of the Day (March 23, 2012)

Jackie Gingrich Cushman, at Townhall.com:

“It's Still the Economy.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Saturday Schedule - 3/24/12

The former Speaker will be in Pennsylvania Saturday:

Newt will speak at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference
1:30pm to 2:30pm EDST
Radisson Penn Harris
1150 Camp Hill Bypass
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Click here for ticket info.

Check Speaker Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Gingrich: Obama's Trayvon remarks ‘disgraceful’ and divisive

Nwet Gingrich was Sean Hannity's guest on radio Friday, and the talk show host asked the former Speaker about the president's remarks on the Trayvon shooting:

"What the President said in a sense is disgraceful. It’s not a question of who that young man looked like. Any young American of any ethnic background should be safe period. We should all be horrified no matter what the ethnic background. Is the President suggesting that if it had been a white who had been shot that would be ok because it didn’t look like him. That’s just nonsense dividing this country up. It is a tragedy this young man was shot. It would have been a tragedy if he had been Puerto Rican or Cuban or if he had been White or if he had been Asian American of if he’d been a Native American. At some point we ought to talk about being Americans. When things go wrong to an American. It is sad for all Americans. Trying to turn it into a racial issue is fundamentally wrong. I really find it appalling."

h/t: Tammy Bruce

- JP

Newt easily wins LSU College Republicans/Baton Rouge Tea Party straw poll

The Baton Rouge Tea Party has announced the results of a Straw Poll taken during its Presidential Forum Thursday hosted by the LSU College Republicans on the Louisiana State University campus:

Newt Gingrich 53%
Ron Paul 25%
Rick Santorum 20%
Mitt Romney 1%

The Event, widely publicized, and open to the public, was well attended with between 375 and 400 in attendance at the peak.

According to the organization, voting was very carefully controlled to prevent "ballot-stuffing." due to rounding error, the results add up to 99% instead of 100%.

- JP

Newt hits one out of the park on WWL after Mitt & Rick strike out

On New Orleans radio station WWL, a 50,000-watt powerhouse on the AM band which reaches large parts of the Gulf Coast, talk show host Tommy Tucker interviewed the three leading GOP presidential candidates and asked each one how they would deal as president with Louisiana's coastal erosion problem, a serious issue in the Pelican State.

Mitt Romney told Tucker that he would "have to study" the issue and began talking about Florida. When Tucker interrupted and tried to get the former Massachusetts governor to actually address his question, Romney got more than a little testy with Tucker, explaining that he's "not sufficiently briefed" on the issue.

When it was Rick Santorum's turn to field the question, the former Pennsylvania Senator went on a tangent about the need for a healthy national economy and what things a president could and could not do. Like Romney, Santorum was not familiar enough with the issue to discuss it. Also like Romney, Santorum was somewhat short-tempered when pressed by the host.

By the time he interviewed former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Tucker admitted that he was "crotchety" because of the responses he got from Santorum and Romney, who both "seemed pretty stumped" by the question. But after asking the question to a third candidate and hearing Gingrich's well-informed and detailed answer, the host seemed pleased with the response, telling Newt, "Now I'm not crotchety anymore."

Tucker then asked Gingrich what it says about his opponents when they didn't have any idea of what he was talking about. The former Speaker make the point that "understanding what each state needs is part of what running for president is all about. You ought to be sensitive to the economics and the culture and the needs of every state, and every state is different."

Which just goes to prove that another former Speaker of the House, Tip O'Neill, was right about at least one thing: "All politics is local."

- JP

Gingrich: ‘Congress should repeal Obamacare now’

Newt Gingrich released this statement on the two-year anniversary of the signing of Obamacare:

“Two years ago Barack Obama signed into law the most dangerous legislation in generations. Obamacare will ultimately lead to a government takeover of healthcare. It empowers bureaucrats at the expense of patients. It regulates doctors and the practice of medicine more than ever before. It taxes businesses and penalizes citizens for not complying with federal fiat. It cuts Medicare by half a trillion dollars, threatening seniors’ access to care. It raises taxes by $500 billion. And it’s a new entitlement that will cost untold trillions in the future.

“Next week, the Supreme Court opens its historic arguments to decide whether the Congress overstepped its constitutional bounds. I strongly support the 26 states that will argue that the Congress had no legitimate authority to pass Obamacare. If this law is allowed to stand, there will be no end to the power of government. The government will ultimately control very personal decisions over life and death.

“Ultimately, we must demand the full repeal of Obamacare, and that will most likely require Congressional action. Congress should listen to the American people and repeal this law now. As president elect, I will ask Congress to pass a bill repealing Obamacare before I take office so I can sign the bill after the inauguration. We can then work to pass a replacement bill which empowers patients and doctors to lower the cost of healthcare to expand access, rather than empowering Washington bureaucrats.”

- JP

Cain: ‘I don’t think Newt Gingrich should drop out of the race’

Herman Cain continues to stand with Newt. The former GOP presidential candidate makes it clear that he believes the man he endorsed should not heed the calls of those who are trying to pressure his friend Newt Gingrich to withdraw from the primary contest:

“I don’t think Newt Gingrich should drop out of the race until Newt Gingrich believes he should drop out of the race,” the former presidential candidate said in a statement provided to TheDC. (RELATED: Full coverage of the Gingrich campaign)

The former Godfather’s Pizza CEO is a high-profile supporter of Gingrich’s effort and has campaigned on his behalf.

Supporters of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum have argued that front-runner Mitt Romney could be stopped from winning the nomination if Gingrich would leave the race.

Cain said Gingrich shouldn’t listen to those calls. “Until a candidate has 1,144 delegates, the race is simply not over.”

“That decision should not be made due to pressure from the GOP ‘establishment,’ the media, Rick Santorum or any of the candidates,” he said.

[Read More]

Cain also said that a brokered convention would get extensive coverage by the media and give the delegates more say over which candidate should be the party's presidential nominee.

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 22, 2012)

Thomas Sowell, conservative economist and Hoover Institution senior fellow:

“Whomever the Republicans choose as their candidate is going to have to run against both Barack Obama and the pro-Obama media. Newt Gingrich has shown that he can do that.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Friday Schedule - 3/23/12

The former Speaker will continue campaigning in southeastern Louisiana Friday:

Newt will call in to Denny Schaffer’s radio show
8:00am CDST
WRNO, New Orleans, LA
Listen live here

Newt will call in to Tommy Tucker’s radio show
9:35am CDST
WWL, New Orleans, LA
Listen live here

Newt will call in to Dom Giordano’s radio show
10:05am CDST
WPHT, Philadelphia, PA
Listen live here

Newt will speak on American energy policy
10:30am to 11:15am CDST
Port Fourchon Operations Center
108 A. O. Rappelet Road
Port Fourchon, LA 70357

Callista will visit Tulane Children’s Hospital
10:30am to 11:30am CDST
Tulane Children’s Hospital
1415 Tulane Avenue, 6th Floor
New Orleans, LA 70112
Note: Mrs. Gingrich will tour the hospital and read “Sweet Land of Liberty” to the children.

Hispanic Roundtable Meeting
2:30pm to 3:30pm CDST
Oakland Plantation Estates
8 Oakland Rd.
Kenner, LA 70065

Tulane University Town Hall Meeting with Newt and Callista
4:00pm to 5:00pm CDST
Tulane University
Richardson Building, Room 117
6823 St. Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70118

Check Speaker Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Sketchy Romney: Everything Changes

Visit SketchyRomney.com

- JP

Gingrich: ‘Brand New Players’ Might Emerge At GOP Convention

Newt was interviewed on NPR's "Morning Edition" Wednesday:

Saying that Mitt Romney may not be able to "grind his way toward the nomination" despite a huge fundraising advantage, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told NPR today that he sees no reason to exit the Republican presidential race and that there's a chance of a new contender emerging at the party's convention in August.

"I'm not so sure you wouldn't get a series of brand new players" stepping forward during a brokered convention, he told Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep.

Or, he said, he might emerge as the convention's choice. Gingrich said he expects to end the primary season with the third most delegates — with Romney at No. 1 and Rick Santorum at No. 2.

[Read More]

Listen to the full interview here.

- JP

Rick Perry ‘will continue to support Newt’

Governor Rick Perry told Fox & Friends Thursday morning that he will remain "With Newt" Gingrich:


- JP

Quote of the Day (March 21, 2012)

Matt Lewis, at The Daily Caller:

“Today, it seems that Paul Ryan agrees with Gingrich, as evidenced by the new Medicare option... But the fact that it has now made it into the Republican budget, I think, acknowledges that, politically, at least, Gingrich had a point all along.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich: ‘Romney could turn on a dime’

Newt was interviewed by Greta Van Susteren on Fox News' "On The Record" Wednesday night:


- JP

Newt Gingrich's Thursday Schedule - 3/22/12

Speaker Gingrich will campaign in southeastern Louisiana Thursday:

Newt will call in to Jeff Crouere’s radio show
12:00pm to 1:00pm CDST
WGSO, New Orleans, LA
Listen live here

Houma Meet & Greet with Newt and Callista
12:00pm to 1:00 pm CDST
Big Al’s Seafood Restaurant
1377 West Tunnel Boulevard
Houma, LA 70360
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Callista will visit The Baton Rouge Center for the Visual & Performing Arts
4:00pm to 5:00pm CDST
Baton Rouge Center for the Visual & Performing Arts
2040 S. Acadian Thruway
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Newt will call in to Andy Dean’s radio show
5:30pm CDST
America Now Radio
Listen live here

Newt will participate in the Baton Rouge Tea Party Presidential Forum & Straw Poll hosted by the LSU College Republicans
8:00pm to 9:30pm CDST
Louisiana State University
Dodson Auditorium
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Newt will be interviewed by Piers Morgan
8:00 PM CDST / 9:00pm EDST
CNN

Check the former Speaker's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Newt: ‘Having an Etch-A-Sketch as your campaign model raises every doubt’

That didn't take long. At a town hall event in Lake Charles, Louisiana this afternoon, Newt Gingrich produced a new campaign prop:


ElectAd has the full video of Newt's Lake Charles event here.

- JP

Gingrich Chief of Staff: ‘I wish that advice had been given to Les Miles’

Gingrich campaign chief of staff Patrick Millsaps was interviewed by CNN's Piers Morgan Tuesday night:


Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Gingrich: This campaign will ‘relentlessly’ take the fight to Obama

Newt Gingrich issued the following statement Tuesday night concerning the results of the Illinois primary:

“To defeat Barack Obama, Republicans can’t nominate a candidate who relies on outspending his opponents 7-1. Instead, we need a nominee who offers powerful solutions that hold the president accountable for his failures. Over the past few weeks, my $2.50 gas plan has shown how America could have cheaper gas, more jobs and greater national security while putting the White House on the defense over their anti-American energy policies. This is the type of leadership I can offer as the nominee, and this campaign will spend between now and when the delegates vote in Tampa relentlessly taking the fight to President Obama to make this case.”

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 20, 2012)

Kellyanne Conway, Gingrich campaign strategist:

“I think Santorum should want us in. I know he wants a clear shot at Romney, but does he really want Romney to have a clear shot at him?”

- JP

Newt: Obama is losing the argument over expensive gasoline

Sean Hannity interviewed the former Speaker on Fox News Tuesday night, and Newt stated his case that he's the GOP candidate best equipped to debate Obama:


- JP

Newt Gingrich's Wednesday Schedule - 3/21/12

Speaker Gingrich will campaign in central and southwestern Louisiana Tuesday:

Newt will call in to EZ News in the Morning
8:10am CDST
KEZP, Alexandria, LA
Listen live here

Newt will call in to Joe Cironi’s radio show
8:30am CDST
KAOK, Lake Charles, LA
Listen live here

Pineville Town Hall with Newt and Callista
9:00 to 10:00am CDST
Louisiana College
Granberry Auditorium
Pineville, LA 71360
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Callista will visit Lake Charles Charter School
1:00pm to 2:00pm CDST
Lake Charles Charter School
2750 Power Center Pkwy
Lake Charles, LA 70607
Note: Mrs. Gingrich will tour the school and read “Sweet Land of Liberty” to students.

Lake Charles Meet & Greet with Newt
1:00pm to 2:00pm CDST
Harlequin Steak and Seafood
510 College Street
Lake Charles, LA
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Callista will visit Miles Perret Cancer Center
4:00pm to 5:00pm CDST
Miles Perret Cancer Services Facility
2130 Kaliste Saloom Road #200
Lafayette, LA 70508

Lafayette Rally with Newt and Callista
7:00pm to 8:00pm CDST
Hilton Lafayette
1521 West Pinhook Road
Lafayette, LA 70503
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Newt will be interviewed by Greta van Susteren
9:00pm CDST / 1:000pm EDST
Fox News

Check Speaker Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Gingrich: ‘I will use my words carefully here so I don't commit a Santorum’

Newt Gingrich held a town hall event today at Louisiana Tech University:


Watch the full video of Newt's remarks and Q&A at Louisiana Tech here.

- JP

Newt: Obama ‘doesn't make sense’ on energy

Newt Gingrich continued to challenge President Obama's energy policy during a news conference Monday evening in Shreveport, Louisiana. The former Speaker of the House said that the discovery of the Haynesville Shale in the ArkLaTex area, together with the recent decrease in production costs, will make Shreveport an important player in the nation's energy future:

“The production of natural gas has gone up substantially since 2008," he said. "The price has dropped dramatically. The production value can drive down the price.

"The question is, can you do the same thing with oil? I think you will see a tremendous shift, which affects the Shreveport area, in the use of natural gas. The United States should have in the next couple of years the least expensive energy economy in the world.”

[...]

“The president’s comments on energy don’t make sense," Gingrich said. "I wanted to confront the president directly on this. He’s been making series speeches about it. He’s referred to my speech again and again to my proposal to get to $2.50 a gallon (on gasoline). What he’s saying is factually false.”

[Read More]

Speaker Gingrich will campaign across northern Louisiana Tuesday, with events scheduled in Shreveport, Ruston and Monroe.

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 19, 2012)

Jonathan Karl, at ABC News' The Note:

“Barbour told me that he voted for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in last week’s Mississippi primary...”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Tuesday Schedule - 3/20/12 (Updated)

The former speaker will campaign in northern Louisiana Tuesday:

Shreveport Meet & Greet with Newt and Callista
8:30am to 9:30am CDT
Strawn’s Eat Shop Too
1643 E. 70th Street
Shreveport, LA 71105
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Update: Newt will call in to Kilmeade & Friends
10:15am CDT / 11:15am EDT
Fox News Radio
Find a station here

Ruston Town Hall with Newt and Callista
11:00am to 12:00pm CDT
Louisiana Tech
Student Center, Room 100A
Ruston, LA
Note: Hosted by the Louisiana Tech College Republicans, this event is free and open to the public.

Update: Callista will visit Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic School
1:00pm to 2:00pm CDT
900 Good Shepherd Lane
Monroe, LA 71201
Note: Mrs. Gingrich will tour the school and read ‘Sweet Land of Liberty’ to the students.

Monroe Meet & Greet with Newt and Callista
3:30pm to 4:30pm CDT
The Atrium Hotel
2001 Louisville Avenue
Monroe, LA 71201
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Update: Newt will call in to Jeremy Lawrence’s radio show
5:45pm CDT
KPEL, Lafayette, LA
Listen live here

Update: Newt will be interviewed on Hannity
8:00pm CDT / 9:00pm EDT
Fox News

Check Speaker Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP

Gingrich: Yes, Past Performance Does Indicate Future Results

Newt Gingrich has responded to a recent Rick Santorum opinion piece with an op-ed of his own, both published online by RedState.com:

Rick Santorum makes an excellent point that “past performance really does indicate future results.” I completely agree—but not just “in Mitt Romney’s case.” Rick Santorum became the third-highest ranking Republican in the Senate in 2001 at a time when Republicans inherited balanced budgets, surpluses, and conservative, pro-life majorities. Senator Santorum and his big spending GOP allies proceeded to squander this inheritance.

The leadership of the Rick Santorum Republicans proved disastrous:

• The Rick Santorum Republicans never passed a single balanced budget, after inheriting balanced budgets and record surpluses. They racked up $1.7 trillion in deficits and increased the average number of earmarks by almost 500 percent. The Senator even voted for the Bridge to Nowhere.
• The Rick Santorum Republicans increased the national debt by 12 percent and voted to raise the debt ceiling five times to accommodate it—even while dealing with a president of their own party.
• The Senator voted with Democrats and Big Labor to defeat the National Right to Work Act of 1995. He justifies this vote saying he was representing Pennsylvania where forced unionization is the law but today, PA Senator Toomey is cosponsoring nearly identical legislation.
• The Senator voted with Democrats and Big Labor — repeatedly — to protect Davis-Bacon legislation, an old law on the books that requires the federal government to pay more to its contractors. He was so wedded to big labor that he even voted against waiving Davis-Bacon in times of emergency. By voting to protect Davis-Bacon, the Senator cost taxpayers many millions in higher taxes, deficits, and national debt.
• The Senator sponsored the “Santorum Amendment” to raise the Minimum Wage 21.4%. He supported Ted Kennedy’s proposed hike in the Minimum Wage. And, in a 2006 campaign commercial, he bragged about his support for a higher Minimum Wage.
• The Rick Santorum Republicans abandoned their principles, resulting in the worst electoral defeat for Republicans since Watergate and the loss of GOP Congressional majorities in both the House and Senate. This left Congress in the hands of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. And in destroying the Republican brand of balanced budgets and spending control, the Rick Santorum Republican failure gave us Barack Obama in 2008.

This is not a record of leadership to be proud of, and in 2006 it resulted in a catastrophic 18-point defeat. I fear it would do so again in the fall of 2012 if he were the nominee...

[Read More]

- JP

Latest Newt 2012 Ad: ‘Ideas Have Consequences’

Here's a new political ad from the Gingrich campaign:


Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Newt will speak at Louisiana Tech tomorrow

From the campus of Louisiana Tech University comes word that Newt Gingrich will speak Tuesday at 11am Central Time in the Student Center, Main Floor:

In anticipation of the Louisiana Primary on Saturday, Gingrich plans to tour all across the state, according to John Kay, a campaign representative. In addition to Ruston, he has stops planned in Shreveport, Choudrant, Monroe and Alexandria.

Gingrich is expected to be on Tech’s campus about an hour, and the event is free and open to the public.

Louisiana Tech has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and has the second largest college enrollment in the Pelican State.

- JP

Newt Gingrich press conference tonight

According to a press release from Newt Gingrich's campaign, the former Speaker will will host a press conference this evening at 6pm Central Time in Shreveport Louisiana:

"...to respond to President Obama's criticism of Gingrich's $2.50 gas and energy plan. Gingrich will also outline his American energy plan to lower gas prices, create jobs and make the United States energy independent."

Venue for the presser is the Hilton Shreveport, Hilton Room A, 104 Market Street, Shreveport, LA 71101.

h/t: Newt Grassroots

The Shreveport Times reports that Newt has been fundraising in Louisiana's third largest city:

Gingrich was in Shreveport today for a fund raiser at a private home owned by some of his supporters, according to the candidate's staff. The fundraiser is not open to the public.

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 18, 2012)

Things As They Are, at 2+2=4:

“Newt Gingrich is the whole package of knowledge matched with wisdom. IF he is elected, Americans WILL work with him, and this Republic really will see a new day.”

- JP

The Hayride: 15 Minutes With Newt Gingrich

The former Speaker took 15 minutes out of his campaign schedule in The Bayou State to sit for an interview with The Hayride, Louisiana’s top conservative website:

Gingrich’s campaign mantra of $2.50 per gallon gasoline and his message of promoting domestic energy isn’t really a new one – “I was the creator of Drill Here, Drill Now back in 2008 and wrote a book by that name,” he reminds – but the current runup in gas prices is beginning to look like it could be the defining issue of this campaign given the Obama administration’s incompetent, and increasingly desperate, handling of the problem.

“I wouldn’t have expected gas prices to be this significant this early,” Gingrich said, noting that prior runups in price usually haven’t happened until May or June, “but I was in Chicago yesterday. And gasoline was $4.59 up there. I don’t care who you are – a suburban mom, a commuter, an independent trucker, a dry cleaner – you can’t escape the effect of this.

“Two months ago it was taxes and growth (that were the focus of the campaign). But this is national security, economics, government revenue and disposable income all wrapped up into one package. Not to mention Obama is so weird on this subject. It’s a very simple choice – do we want a drilling president, or an algae president?”

The significance of energy to this campaign, Gingrich says, can be seen in the administration’s reaction to his $2.50 a gallon message of recent days – in which Obama has likened promoters of domestic drilling to the Flat Earth Society, made a somewhat strange, though repetitive, assertion that increased production of oil and gas wouldn’t lower prices and bragged about an overall increase in American oil and gas production during his time in office despite the fact that increase has come completely on private lands while production offshore and on federal lands has fallen off significantly.

But it’s not just offshore where Louisianans see a bright hydrocarbon future. The state is already percolating with newfound wealth from the Haynesville Shale in its northwest, though many of those natural gas wells have been shut in due to current low prices and an incompletely-developed demand (due in some measure to broken incentives from bad government policies). People here believe that will ultimately change, but in the meantime two other major finds – the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale running across the middle part of the state and the Brown Dense Shale in its northeast – contain both natural gas and oil and are ramping up exploration quickly. Louisiana is awash in potential energy wealth; all the state needs is the right economic and policy conditions and a renaissance of sorts in the near term is quite likely.

And so the strongest energy message between Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney over the next week is likely going to be the winner in the Bayou State. All three seem to understand that; Gingrich is pushing it hardest to date.

[Read More]

Newt will continue to campaign in Louisiana this week, including a stop in my original home town of Pineville Wednesday for a speech at Louisiana College.

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 17, 2012)

John Hoeffel, at the left wing Los Angeles Times:

“To Newt Gingrich’s profound joy, the White House has continued to tangle with him over his promise to bring gas prices down to $2.50 a gallon, giving a sort of shout-out to his struggling campaign and a little weight to his contention that only he can go toe-to-toe with the president.”

- JP

Newt 2012 Ad: ‘Obama Bows Again’

Here's the latest political ad from the Gingrich campaign:


Video courtesy of Newt 2012

- JP

Quote of the Day Honorable Mention #65

“Fight For What's Right” Edition
*


Mike Renzulli, at Libertarian Republican:

“The Republican race has boiled down to 4 people. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul fall into the dynamist category while Romney and Santorum are stasists. Gingrich and Paul embrace a positive future of economic progress and spontaneous order where individuals are free to pursue their own course of happiness. Out of the two Paul fails miserably in the realm of foreign policy and the roots of Islamic terror... Newt Gingrich is an honest, principled, and articulate candidate. He is best equipped not only to undo the damage done by Obama if elected but also adequately take the President to task in debates. He has a very good record of accomplishment of balancing budgets while Speaker of the House including party building in Georgia and nationally that the G.O.P. would benefit from along with a breadth of knowledge that would make Thomas Jefferson proud. Newt wants to liberate the country and not necessarily rule it. Gingrich operates along the lines of Ayn Rand's principles and is a man of action. It will take a dynamist to defeat a stasist at the polls and Gingrich offers the best chance to not only defeat Obama but restore America as a dynamist haven once again.”

Bruce Kocher, delivery truck driver from Theodore, AL:

“He's a fighter. He's got the right ideas to beat Obama. I found my candidate tonight.”

Patriotic Nurse, blogger:

“Do you remember the Tea Party? I do... However, today as we are trying to rectify the wrongs of the Obama administration it seems as though we’ve become somewhat disengaged from our initial intent. We have Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich all vying for the nomination of the Republican Party for President, each one claiming to be the ‘true conservative’ to represent us... One has to wonder why those who are migrating towards Romney and claim to be connected with the Tea Party could overlook his governing record... Rick Santorum is claiming he is the true conservative in this race as well but he too, has a problem with spending. Big spending! He is actually proud of his earmarks... Let’s help America by sending the one man who can stand up against Obama, one with the intellect, the strength and the fortitude to restore America once again to the oval office. That folks is why I am #withNewt.”

Billy Hewes Jr, Gulfport, MS businessman:

“I like him. I like what he stands for, and I like that a lot of people up in Washington don’t like him.”

Claire Galofaro, of The New Orleans Times-Picayune:

“Hundreds of Louisiana Republicans crammed into the Trailhead in downtown Covington on Friday night, under its famed largest-in-the-world statue of Ronald Reagan, to hear Newt Gingrich's pitch for his presidency -- a visionary one, as the candidate described it, in the tradition of Reagan. The adoring crowd waved their paddle fans, reading ‘Don't believe the liberal media,’ and hoisted signs touting Gingrich's plan for $2.50 per gallon of gasoline... Gingrich's half-hour speech -- focusing on energy policy and discrediting the president -- was met with wild applause and occasional chants of ‘Newt, Newt, Newt.’”

Kerry Lester, at The Daily Herald:

“Gingrich visits Barrington High, Judson University... Gingrich appeared more engaged and off-the-cuff than at his other Illinois appearances Wednesday and Thursday, opening up the end of the program to student questions.”

Jonathan Karl, at ABC News:

“Newt Gingrich is not getting out of the race any time soon. Here’s why: Gingrich firmly believes that staying in the race is the best way to prevent Mitt Romney from clinching the nomination before the convention in August. And he actually may have a point. Gingrich explained his rationale to me late Tuesday as results were coming in. ‘We’re actually helping because between us – Santorum and I – are stopping Romney,’ Gingrich said. Gingrich knows that it is virtually impossible for him, or Santorum for that matter, to beat Romney on delegates, but he makes the case — and it is not far-fetched — that unless Romney starts winning delegates at a faster pace he won’t clinch nomination by end the end of the primaries... And here is another reason Gingrich isn’t any closer to dropping out after Tuesday’s primaries in Alabama and Mississippi; he just beat front-runner Mitt Romney in both states.”

Eligio Marin, Vietnam vet laid off by the Illinois State Treasurer’s office:

“They want him to get out. This is nonsense. He is the most experienced. I hope we have a brokered convention.”

Robert Costa, at National Review Online:

“Gingrich is committed to staying in the race until the convention, according to his advisers. He believes that there will be chaos within the party come August, and that — with a bit of luck, a clever floor strategy, and a powerful speech — he could build a winning coalition... No one within the tight-knit group at the top, for the moment, has urged Gingrich to quit, or threatened to leave the campaign over strategic differences. But of course, behind that positive outlook is a sober, private acknowledgment, from friends and aides, that Gingrich faces innumerable obstacles. The former speaker is willing to take his chances. His rationale, it seems, is not so much vengeful, but historical and personal. Gingrich frequently cites as his inspiration Ronald Reagan’s 1976 bid, when the Californian challenged President Gerald Ford. But unlike then, he believes, Republicans will coalesce around an insurgent this summer. He does not expect them to back a moderate, especially one who lacks Ford’s incumbent advantage.”

Sean Trende, RealClearPolitics senior elections analyst:

“People are assuming if Newt gets out, it helps Santorum because it sets up a one-on-one contest against Romney. But by Newt staying in, he’s actually gobbling up some of Romney’s delegates. And that’s the name of the game at this point: keeping Romney below 1,144. So I think Newt staying in actually helps Santorum.”

Barry Casselman, political analyst:

“To those who view a presidential nominating campaign as purely a horse
race and a clash of personalities, it is logical to call for Mr. Gingrich to
withdraw. But there are fundamental flaws in this thinking at this time.
First of all, although anything is possible, there is no reasonable chance
that Mr. Santorum will be nominated in Tampa. He has had recent success
because he was the only remaining candidate who spoke to the social and
religious wing of his party, a wing which has felt its issues have not yet been
expressed in this political cycle. But these concerns, however legitimate, are
not the primary concerns of the majority of the Republican electorate.
Nor even more conclusively are they the concerns of the majority of
American voters, including the almost one-third who belong to no party and
ascribe to no formal ideology. Why should Mr. Gingrich, who has received
almost as many popular votes as Mr. Santorum so far, and who represents a
much broader conservative view than the former Pennsylvania senator, now
stand aside for him?”

Chuck Norris, at Townhall.com:

“I believe we can continue to seek alternative energy solutions while lowering gas prices by implementing a super energy solution, the one that former speaker of the House and current GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has proposed.”

Trip Gabriel, at The New York Times:

“The White House is clearly concerned about the potential for higher gas prices to undermine the economic recovery and Mr. Obama’s re-election chances, and the president has given a series of energy speeches in recent weeks to show his concern... Mr. Obama’s solution to rising gas prices is fundamentally the opposite of Mr. Gingrich’s. The president wants to decrease dependence on fossil fuels through conservation and alternative energy sources. Mr. Gingrich promises that dramatically increasing oil drilling will produce a gusher of nearly miraculous potential: enough energy to cut prices nearly in half, end America’s political obligations to Middle East producers and yield $16 trillion to $18 trillion in royalties to pay off the national debt.”

Cendy Luto, fourth-grade teacher from Crystal Lake, IL:

“What he says, he’s going to deliver on. I love that he’s going to get the gas down; I know he will. He’s not doing a bunch of empty promises. He’s very intelligent, nothing rattles his cage, and I respect that.”

Conservative Sue, blogger:

“ I've closely followed Gingrich over the years, and always thought he would make an excellent president. His historic take-over of the U.S. House in the GOP Revolution of 1994 was one of the most exhilarating political victories I've witnessed in my lifetime. He followed that with unprecedented work to bring to a vote and pass 9 of 10 planks in the Contract with America. His ability to rally conservatives, remarkable. Stunning victories by the GOP nationwide at the state and local levels were orchestrated by Newt in the 90's. I watch his passionate speeches routinely to educate myself about our history, government and conservatism.”

- JP

Quote of the Day (March 16, 2012)

Chris Stirewalt, at FoxNews.com:

“The latest FOX News poll of Republican voters supports Newt Gingrich’s strange-sounding assertion that his presence in the race is actually a benefit to rival Rick Santorum.”

- JP

Gallup poll vindicates Newt's argument for continuing campaign

The results of a new Gallup poll cast serious doubt on the argument made by Santorum supporters and many "conservative" pundits that Newt Gingrich should drop out of the race to consolidate conservative support behind Rick Santorum. Instead, the survey findings seem to vindicate the former Speaker's reasoning for remaining in the GOP presidential contest:

PRINCETON, NJ -- Republican voters who prefer Newt Gingrich for the party's 2012 presidential nomination are as likely to name Mitt Romney as their second choice as they are to name Rick Santorum, suggesting the race would not tilt in Santorum's favor if Gingrich dropped out.

These results are based on Gallup Daily tracking interviews conducted March 8-15 with more than 1,900 Republican registered voters, including a sample of 290 Gingrich supporters.

Some conservative Republicans have called for Gingrich to drop out of the race on the assumption that conservative primary voters would then unite behind Santorum as the conservative alternative to the more moderate Romney. But Gallup data indicate that Gingrich voters would not be likely to coalesce behind Santorum, suggesting that factors other than candidate ideology may be attracting voters to Gingrich, Santorum, and Romney.

Gallup can simulate Republican preferences without Gingrich in the race by removing Gingrich votes and reassigning them to his voters' second-choice candidate. The results of this procedure suggest that national GOP preferences would change little if Gingrich dropped out. The reconfigured preferences show Romney getting 40% of the vote and Santorum getting 33%. That seven-percentage-point Romney lead is essentially the same as the six-point (34% to 28%) Romney lead in March 8-15 interviewing with Gingrich support included.

[Read More]

Related: Newt is Right: Santorum is Better Off With Gingrich in the Race

- JP

Fox & Friends: Gingrich ‘clearly on the president's mind’

The former Speaker was a guest on "Fox & Friends" Friday morning:


- JP

Newt: 176,000 donors want me to stay in the race

Speaker Gingrich was interviewed by Charlie Rose on CBS' "This Morning" Friday:


- JP

Quote of the Day (March 15, 2012)

Matt Towery, InsiderAdvantage pollster:

“As soon as Newt Gingrich failed to win both Alabama and Mississippi in the GOP race for president, most members of the mainstream media and political strategists with whom I talked readily admitted, off the record, that he was the most qualified among the Republican candidates to serve as president.”

- JP

Newt Gingrich's Friday Schedule - 3/16/12

The former speaker will campaign in Louisiana Friday:

Newt will be interviewed on CBS This Morning
6:00am CDT / 7:00am EDT
CBS News

Newt will be interviewed on Fox and Friends
6:20am CDT / 7:20am EDT
Fox News

Newt will call in to the Morning Rush with Denny Schaffer
8:05am CDT
WRNO, New Orleans, LA
Listen live here

Newt will call in to Baton Rouge’s Morning News with Clay and Kevin
8:30am CDT
WJBO, Baton Rouge, LA
Listen live here

Callista will visit Harriet Tubman Charter School
10:30am to 11:30am CDT
Harriet Tubman Charter School
2013 General Meyer Drive
New Orleans, LA 70114
Note: Mrs. Gingrich will tour the school and then read “Sweet Land of Liberty” to students.

Meet & Greet at Ye Olde College Inn with Newt and Callista
2:00pm to 3:00pm CDT
Ye Olde College Inn
3000 South Carollton Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70118
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Newt and Callista will visit the Audubon Zoo
3:30pm to 4:30pm CDT
Audubon Zoo
6500 Magazine Street
New Orleans, Louisiana

Covington Rally with Newt and Callista
6:00pm to 7:00pm CDT
Trailhead in Downtown Covington
419 N. New Hampshire Street
Covington, LA 70433
Note: This event is free and open to the public.

Check Speaker Gingrich's full calendar of events at Newt.org, his official campaign website.

- JP