GOP Hardliners Spurn Newt

Fifteen years after Newt Gingrich's role in the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress made him a hero to conservatives, a potential 2012 bid for president has the GOP's right wing on the attack already. Gingrich, whose possible run has been the subject of speculation by many, seems to have lost the support of the grassroots right after endorsing moderate NY Congressional candidate Dede Scozzafava over third-party conservative Doug Hoffman. Blogger Michelle Malkin says that Gingrich has been "wavering on core issues" and imagines a cabinet made up of Al Sharpton, Al Gore, and Scozzafava, while Quin Hillyer faults Gingrich for having "sided with the establishment" despite nationwide anti-beltway sentiment. Dan Riehl, meanwhile, says Gingrich is too much of an insider to even garner the nomination, while Salon's Alex Koppelman thinks he's got too much at stake to even bother running: "He's comfortably ensconced as a party elder right now... a big loss in a presidential run would put an end to that."