Gingrich: No to '08 presidential run

In a quick turn of events, Georgia Republican and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced he will not make a run for President. Gingrich told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that an analysis of the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law made clear he could not continue as head of his new American Solutions initiative, while at the same time launch an exploratory committee for the presidency.

Before this weekend decision, Gingrich spoke to GPB Thursday evening, on the charge by some critics that his initiative was serving as an indirect political campaign.

"Nothing that we have done in American Solutions relates to campaigning. Any poll we give out we give out to both the Democrat and Republican party...all of our programs have been open to both the Democrat and Republican party...we've invited both Democrats and Republicans to participate. We've really tried to make this very open and available to anybody".

Gingrich had just made high-profile appearances in support of his American Solutions organization, which held workshops across the nation over the weekend.

Gingrich launches initiative amid rumors

Georgia Republican and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich kicked-off his new initiative last night in Cobb County. Called "American Solutions for Winning the Future", it plans to focus on problems such as healthcare, immigration and national security in workshops across the nation this weekend.

This however, comes as rumors swirl as to a possible presidential run by Gingrich. Some critics have suggested that his advocacy group is an indirect political campaign. Matt Towery heads the political website 'Insider Advantage'. He's a former Gingrich political aide.

"I think if he gets into the race he's going to be criticized for using this as a stepping stone, and it's something he's going to have to deal with. I don't think it would be fatal to him. I didn't think it was the smartest thing in the world, but yet at the same time it has created a lot of buzz".

Gingrich spoke to GPB last night about the charge put forth by critics.

"Nothing that we have done in American Solutions relates to campaigning. Any poll we give out we give out to both the Democrat and Republican party...all of our programs have been open to both the Democrat and Republican party...we've invited both Democrats and Republicans to participate. We've really tried to make this very open and available to anybody".

Gingrich has mentioned a number of 30-million dollars in pledges needed to fuel a jump into the presidential fray, and summed up his chances of getting into the race.

"I think the odds are probably 20-percent that we'll get pledges of 30-million dollars, and 80-percent that we won't. I'm pretty comfortable with that...I would have told you a month ago I thought it was 5-percent we would get it and 95-percent we wouldn't. So it has actually in my mind moved a fair distance in the last six weeks".

Gingrich said this is not about any ambition on his part, but about a citizen movement for change, and he’d be willing to be their candidate with enough support.