Defending Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich, family man: I've not heard Gingrich himself or family members use those words exactly. But there seems to be a lot more talk of a warmer, fuzzier, happy Grandpa Gingrich these days. At the official opening of his campaign headquarters in the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale, he said his grandchildren critique his debates. His granddaughter told him to smile and his grandson to not talk to much. In his defense during the debate of questions of whether Americans should trust an adulterer, Gingrich talked about being a "68-year-old grandpa".

I talked with his daughter, Jackie Cushman. The campaign offered the conversation Saturday before the debate. Jackie is the child of Gingrich and his first wife, Jackie. His divorce from Jackie has become political lore but Cushman told me it's mostly folly. The story goes that Gingrich went to the hospital to see his wife, who was dying from cancer, and served her with divorce papers. Cushman said it's actually her mom who requested the divorce talk and her mom wasn't dying from cancer. She had a tumor but it turned out not to be cancerous. And most importantly, she's still alive today. Cushman didn't deny her dad's infidelity during his two broken marriages.

Cushman wants Iowans to judge her father based on everything he's done, not just his failings. Cushman told me, "I think you have to look at where he stands and what he has done over time. He is the only national candidate who on a national level has balanced the budget. He's cut spending nationally. He's cut taxes. He's reformed welfare."

Gingrich leads every Iowa poll, a stunning turnaround to some who thought he'd drop out of the race this summer when his entire paid Iowa staff quit. They questioned how much he was willing to work to win the nomination. But Gingrich's daughter said she learned to never count her dad out. She told me, "People said, oh, he's going to drop out. I was like, absolutely not! This is not a man who drops out or gives up easily. He lost twice before he ever won for Congress. He lost in '74 and 1976. And both times that he lost, the next day, we as a family got up early, went to the Ford factory at the morning shift changes, probably around 6 o'clock, shook hands and said, thank you for your help. Be back again."

Did you catch the mention of "we as a family got up early"? Probably not the last time we will hear about family as Gingrich continues toward the Iowa Caucuses.

2012: Gingrich and Bachmann

Their Words, Your Thoughts: Newt Gingrich said he screwed around on his wife because he loved his country. I'm curious if your spouse would take that as a legitimate excuse. Mine wouldn't. Gingrich made his comments to CBN's David Brody during an interview at the famous Machine Shed Restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa (my mother-in-law's favorite breakfast place when she comes to town). Gingrich said his passion for the country lead him to do things that were inappropriate. O.K., married people, how would this excuse go over at home?

History Problem: Michele Bachmann offered an historic gaffe during her stop in New Hampshire about the "shot heard 'round the world". The gaffe may not be historic. But the topic was. She apparently confused the Granite State's history with its neighbor, Massachusetts. Hopefully, for her sake, she ad libbed that speech. And she just had a mental mix up. Because if she prepped that line for the speech and then said it, that would really be an unfortunate "oops".
But, perhaps, even more embarrassing for Bachmann is this: that moment in history is intertwined with the genesis of today's tea partiers and Bachmann is a proud member of that tea party group. Oops.

By the way, don't think she's not serious about running. Indianola Senator Kent Sorenson is already working to push support for her (on a volunteer basis) in Iowa. More to come on this...

Bachmann will be interesting to follow if Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin don't run. It sure doesn't seem like Huckabee is planning to run, at least not yet. Eric Woolson, Huckabee's campaign manger for his 2008 winning (Charlie Sheen has now ruined that word, "winning") Iowa Caucus campaign just had to announce his support for Tim Pawlenty, after word of the future support leaked out in the Washington Post. Palin has been scarce in this state as her poll numbers fall. I don't know of any elected official pushing Palin's cause so far. Conservative blogger, Shane Vander Hart, is a Palin backer and posts about her on his Caffeinated Thoughts blog. But that's about it, as far as I know.