NYT: "A New Newt"

The New York Times wrote an interesting story about Newt's "reintroduction" to many conservative voters whereby he talks more openly about his faith now than he has in the past.

While it is worth reading the whole article, here is a couple of snippets:

Rival Republicans marvel at his deep well of ideas, his innate intellect and his knowledge of government. They also point to the strategic approach taken by the Gingrich team in the 2010 elections, including holding training sessions for a new generation of elected officials. He has secured important endorsements, including one from the new majority leader of the Iowa House, who has been courted by all potential presidential candidates.

Dr. Jack Willke, an early leader in the anti-abortion movement in Ohio and across the country, was among those waiting for an autograph. Dr. Willke said he was delighted that Mr. Gingrich had increased the role of faith in his public appearances, something that he said he did not recall during Mr. Gingrich’s tenure as speaker of the House.

'We were there long before he was,' Mr. Willke said. 'It was never a big public thing for Newt, but he’s surfaced now as considerably more so.'

As Dr. Willke and his wife, Barbara, mingled with others in the crowd, Mrs. Willke said she was delighted to read about Mr. Gingrich’s baptism as a Catholic in March 2009. When one woman asked about his conversion, Mrs. Willke replied: 'His Catholicism certainly sounds legit, and even more so since Callista is in the picture now.'