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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said Friday that, if enough people are worried about stopping Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), he will consider running for president. Asked on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” whether he will run for president, Gingrich said, “I don’t know ... If in October we find there are enough people who are worried about stopping Sen. Clinton and enough people who feel that we need a more aggressive advocate of real change, then I’d frankly consider running.” Gingrich recently said there is an 80-20 chance that a Democrat will triumph in the 2008 presidential race. The former Speaker believes that Clinton will win the Democratic nomination. Gingrich also said that he would not launch a presidential bid unless he is confident he can compete financially with other GOP contenders. “This is a very complicated race,” Gingrich said. “[Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt] Romney can write a personal check for $50 million or $100 million. And I wouldn’t go out on a lark and be in a situation where you couldn’t possibly compete.” Earlier this week, Gingrich said he might run for president if his supporters pledge $30 million by November. Gingrich suggested on C-SPAN that Republican White House hopefuls are not matching up with Democrats on healthcare, saying that Sens. Clinton and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) have “fairly serious” healthcare proposals. “Frankly,” Gingrich said, “the Republicans should be matching them with equally valid plans.” He also weighed in on the controversy surrounding Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s wish to visit ground zero, which was denied by the New York Police Department. “Ahmadinejad is consistently on the side of terrorism,” he said. “To have a person whose government is actively supporting terrorism show up at ground zero and look at where the World Trade Center was I think would be an insult to the memory of every person of every nationality who died in that attack. And I think it is despicable that we allow Ahmadinejad to do anything more than land, go to the U.N., go to the hotel, go the U.N. and leave.” Asked if he has any interaction with former President Clinton, Gingrich said he has more interaction with Sen. Clinton, noting that they served on a health information technology advisory group. “I’ve always described both of them as hardworking and professional and people who I think Republicans should never underestimate,” Gingrich said. |
