Gingrich Picks Up Endorsement from Urbandale Legislator at Friday Breakfast

An influential Iowa state legislator endorsed Newt Gingrich after the former speaker of the House spoke at a Rotary Club breakfast in Des Moines Friday morning. 

Urbandale Rep. Scott Raecker said his decision wasn't based on any specific issue, or on Gingrich's chances of winning the Iowa Caucuses, but rather on what Gingrich and his campaign brings to the race.

"It's my position that his voice needs to continue in the race," said Raecker, chairman of the Iowa House Appropriations Committee and executive director for Character Counts in Iowa.

"I, like many Americans, am frustrated with the polarization of our country and our government in Washington," said Raecker. "His campaign of ideas and this voice that he is bringing shows that the longer he is in the campaign, the better off we will be."

Raecker said he likes that Gingrich is talking about solutions to big problems and doing it in a positive, proactive way.

Gingrich Pledges to Remain Positive

Falling rapidly in the polls, Gingrich, looking tired and tieless, spoke at 7 a.m. to a full banquet room of Des Moines Rotarians, rattling off ideas ranging from brain science and autism, Iran and the threat of a worldwide depression, to closing the Food and Drug Administration,

"I think we ought to have a large discussion about big ideas," he said.

"I can't do modern politics. I wouldn't do modern politics," he said referring to his campaign of ideas and failures of his campaign last summer.  

"I'm going to remain positive," he told the group. "If someone has to try to frighten you and run ads that are false to get to be president, why would they tell you the truth when they are president."

Gingrich has been hammered in recent weeks by the Mitt Romney and Ron Paul campaigns and their supporters. The first to hit Iowa airwaves was a Paul ad that accused Gingrich of serial hypocrisy, and they appear to have made caucus-goers rethink support for the former House speaker.

Two polls in the past two days have shown Gingrich slipping to fifth place. An NBC poll shows Mitt Romney and Ron Paul leading with Gingrich behind a surging Rick Santorum and Rick Perry.

A CNN-Time poll showed similar results.

Gingrich told the Des Moines Register Thursday he thinks he can finish fifth in Iowa and still be a viable candidate. 

“Considering that I’m 20 points ahead in some other states, it would be fairly foolish for me not to stay in the race. It is a long way from here to picking a nominee,” Gingrich told the Des Moines Register Thursday.

Overhaul the Electoral System

In response to a question from the group, Gingrich talked about money buying candidates and congressmen and senators. 

"We've got to fundamentally overhaul the Congress and got to fundamentally overhaul the electoral system," Gingrich said, adding that he favors letting anyone make contributions to candidates, but requiring that they report them within 72 hours on the internet so all citizens immediately can see who is sending money to candidates and elected officials.

Gingrich said it has gotten to the point that only millionaires can run for office.

"Both parties actively recruit millionaires to run for the Senate. They call them self-funders," he said.

Lori Day, owner of FocusFirst, Inc., said she is weighing her caucus support between Romney, Paul and Gingrich. 

"The problems in Washington won't be solved by sound bites," said Day, adding that her greatest concern is Washington, D.C., "lacks the competence, training and discipline to solve our problems."