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ARLINGTON, VA -- Newt Gingrich finally ended his presidential bid on Wednesday at a hotel just outside of the nation's capital, where he once led the Republican Party in Congress.
Newt Gingrich end his run for president on after winning only two of the dozens of nominating contests in the Republican primary race. Watch his entire speech.
After a week of broadcasting his intent to suspend his campaign -- including the release of a video earlier this week thanking supporters and previewing the announcement -- Gingrich formally ended his bid for the Republican presidential nomination at an event his campaign had billed as a "press conference to announce suspension of campaign."
Benjamin Myers / Reuters
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich speaks next to his wife Callista Gingrich as he suspends his presidential campaign May 2 in Arlington, Va.
"Today, I'm suspending the campaign but suspending the campaign does not mean suspending citizenship. Callista and I are committed to be active citizens. We owe it to America. We owe it to Maggie and Robert," Gingrich said, referring to his only two grandchildren, here in his home state of Virginia.
Once bitter rival of Mitt Romney, the presumptive GOP nominee, Gingrich vowed during his 26 minute speech to do whatever possible to beat Barack Obama but came short of actually endorsing Romney.
"I'm asked sometimes is Mitt Romney conservative enough. And my answer is simple: compared to Barack Obama? You know, this is not a choice between Mitt Romney and Ronald Reagan. This is a choice between Mitt Romney and the most radical leftist President in American history," Gingrich said while addressing roughly 100 members of the media inside the Hilton Hotel.
Romney said in a statement: "Newt Gingrich has brought creativity and intellectual vitality to American political life. During the course of this campaign, Newt demonstrated both eloquence and fearlessness in advancing conservative ideas. Although he long ago created an enduring place for himself in American history, I am confident that he will continue to make important contributions to our party and to the life of the nation."
Gingrich’s spokesman said an official endorsement of Romney is still to come.
The news was far from surprising, given the way the former House speaker had been openly discussing the prospect of his exiting from the race ever since he finished poorly in the Delaware primary.
After finishing nearly 30 percent behind Mitt Romney in DE -- a state Gingrich frequented leading up to the election -- the speaker basically gave two concession speeches while campaigning in North Carolina last week. He began calling Romney the "nominee" and said it was time to "be honest about what's happening in the real world as opposed to what you would like to have happen."
Gingrich's campaign had been considered virtually dead for weeks, though the winner of the South Carolina and Georgia primaries vowed to contest the nomination all the way through the Republican convention this summer in Tampa. Gingrich had assailed Romney's conservatism, and, to boot, President Obama's campaign circulated a video this morning featuring the ex-speaker's greatest hits against Romney.
That said, the month of May is far later in the election cycle than most political observers thought Gingrich would last. After suffering missteps in the launch of his campaign, most of Gingrich's senior staff quit on him last June.
Gingrich must also still work to erase millions of debts incurred during his campaign, mostly during its tail end.
But at today’s event, the Speaker seemed cheerful and unfazed by the $4 million hole he is in. He rather spent time talking about one of his most memorable ideas from the past 10 months – his proposed moon colony.
“My wife has pointed out to me approximately 219 times, give or take three, that the moon colony was probably not my most clever comment in this campaign. I thought, frankly, in my role providing material for Saturday night live it was helpful but the underlying key point is real,” Gingrich joked.
Leave a Comment:
Dear Newt:
Your gum bumping, lip flapping flatulence will be missed by Americans who needed a hearty guffaw to lighten up their day. I'm sure, however, you won't disappoint and will create more faux history with which to hypnotize your minions and baffle everyone else. Your brand of gutter trolling, swill belching obstreperous stupidity will be a plimsoll on the ship of political state that marks your current demise.
Tragically, since the phantom zone has not been created to exile you to, there is no doubt your remarkably nonsensical utterances will, from time to time, still toxicify our eardrums. Thanks for all the nothing, you miserable sack of crap.
Sincerely,
A weary American Public
P.S. Let not the shade of your presence darken our door again.
I really hope you got that off your chest. I am relieved he is 'gone?'. I couldn't take his distorted slant on reality any longer. THANK YOU GOD!!
Wow,. he is truly a moron. people actually voted for him. SCARY!
Time to file for bankruptcy again, Papa Smurf. First Mrs. Smurf needs more Botox though. Wait - isn't Mutt already hiring with his staff leaving?
It's about time, getting sick of seeing Callista
You must be near death when you see Moochele then!!!
Please grow up Cliff
That's all
His company went bankrupt, the country was next if he got in. Republicans,.......WTF?
Ever since the moon colony idea his campaign made him Moot Gingrich anyway.
In an odd way, it's a shame he's dropping out. I will miss seeing Newt alongside the symbol of America, the bald eagle. Oh wait, that's Callista, his wife? My bad.
lawful
OMG, funniest thing I've seen in awhile. Classic!!!!!!!!
Newt dropped out however how much money did he pocket during the campaign.????????????????? I would not hve voted for him anyway or obama!!!!there is nobody running I would waste time to go vote for they are all rich so they will only help themselves and the "rich".
C_D_J55.
"Can you believe this obese, fat, and way overweight slobberdog--actually saying who's heathy and who's not."
But hey- lookit them Noot-TItties! Them's more appealing than those of the lady standing next to him!
(oh, and I'm just positive his campaign failure is the fault of the 'Elite-Media')
Well shoot. You have to admit the moon colony was funny. Feisty's right, the comic relief factor was worth all the other lunacy.
YAWN!
I often dream of what it will be like when all the old ugly white obstructionist are dust in the wind. Will things improve immediately? Will senate and house run smooth? Will the country advance overnite? They seem to be like an anchor sinking the boat.
One of the most important things in a politician is their ability to use good judgment…outstanding decision Newt, just much overdue.
Another one down....one and a half to go.
That's quite the Stepford wife he has there. Maybe a spread in Playboy for all the former candidates wives.
playboy you say? more like Horse & Hound Magazine.
@ S Carey,
Yikes... Just having to look at Bachmann or Callista on TV is enough to give me the heebee jeebees - and you want to see them nude... I just threw up in my mouth a little... ;-)
more like the House of Wax...
I was jesting guys. I too would rather see opraH in Playboy than these rich skanks.
But Octomom needs money......or do you want to support her and her 14 kids SHE HAD TO HAVE, with not a dime to her name. Just freaken have them. Everyone will support you and your ignorant ugly face.
more like a horror magazine.
I LOVE the Obamabot's comment!
Let's see here, who's supporting the same failed policies that got us into this mess?
Tax breaks and deregulation's, it has worked so well for all these years! sarcasm!
The Ryan plan, cut's from the poor and gives to the rich, glad your goals haven't changed.
The Catholic Bishops have come out against the Ryan plan, but let's not pay attention now. Only when the GOP can use Religion, for passing their agenda are the Bishops relevant right? Hypocrites!!!!!
Don't paint ALL faithful and authentically committed believers with this GOP brush. ALL men have flaws and sadly the political community seems to be the fertile ground for hypocrisy & personal opportunism. Its now time for the truth that the population knows to be used and not ignored. Cynicism and Detachment won't help this nation's future.
sour grapes Gingrich...
You want to beat Obama but not endorse Romney - how is that possible, exactly?
he leaves the stage on on to Mitt's butt hole.
Oh my is that an ugly thought and smelly. Peeeeee uuuuuuu
and yet another republican ending their run under the disguise of "suspension"... why, you ask, is he 'suspending' his campaign instead of 'ending' his campaign?
SO HE DOESN'T HAVE TO GIVE BACK THE MONEY!
...just like the rest of the right wing freak hypocrites. honest family values my ass!
Dear Mr. Gingrich: When you sell your soul to hyprocisy over and over again, you lose. But thanks for the incrediblly absurd sideshow you gave us.
yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
It's too bad he came with baggage that seemed unacceptable to many. He is a very bright guy that would'nt bow to a foriegn dignitary or impune our constitutional rights.
And we all know improper sexual behavior makes one out to be almost criminal.----Oh wait, what about Bill Clinton? No double standard there.
Yep, This guy was so bright he got himself kicked out of Congress. He was so bright he lead the charge to get Bill Clinton while getting caught Banging his secretary. He was so bright he bought $500,000 worth of jewelry at Tiffany's and couldn't pay for it!
The Ethic's Committee in Congress thought that he was so bright they almost indicted him! Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!
This guy was the grand old hateful ugly man that was thrown out of the congress because he is a lying scumbag. I will only say.....he is a smooth talker........but a liar
Please file this in the category.... Who gives a F%$K. Oh, I forgot. We still have Fox and its Tea Baggers!
Quite a few liberal responses here, so I'm going with more than your assessment.
The only reason I loved to watch Newt and his "current" wife was to see if her hair actually ever moved! Does anyone know if it did in the wind? Seriously I have no idea what he said- ever. She is walking, talking over the hill Barbie doll gone wrong.
I think Newt had a couple of good ideas, one being the moon base, which has turned into a joke, but it shouldn't be. A very serious man, a liberal agrees that the moon base is a good idea, Professor Neil deGrasse Tyson stated that what AMerica does best, and what creates jobs is innovation. Looking back to the 60s when were working to land a man on the moon, is there any doubt that America led the way in technology and job creation? The moon base is a good idea and something that should not be dismissed. Thanks Newt.