Newt's Day in Atlanta

From My Fox Atlanta:

Gingrich toured the Genesis Shelter in northeast Atlanta. The facility helps homeless families get on their feet. Afterward, Gingrich said the shelter is an example of an assistance program that works.

"It provides a very important service in the community and it's also a great example of the public-private partnership," said Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich said the shelter gets 75 percent of its revenue from voluntary donations from companies and individuals who want to be helpful and 25 percent from the government.

From the AP:

"You learn, I think, to use each news hook to get into a conversation," Gingrich told reporters at his Atlanta campaign headquarters, where he also met with volunteers making phone calls and writing letters to potential GOP voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

"The debt debate is really a reminder that we are just grossly out of cycle in our spending patterns," he said. "We have done this before. We did balance the federal budget for four straight years. We did reform welfare. We did cut taxes to create jobs. We did bring unemployment down. So we know it's doable because we've done it."

The presidential hopeful delivered a dozen or so pizzas to the phone bank volunteers, and he arrived just in time to jump on a call from the Hawkeye state.

"I look forward to being with you, and I'd like to have your help," Gingrich told the caller after a briefly sharing some thoughts on immigration reform. "We'll actually be out there this weekend. We'll let you know where we're going to be, and we'll send you an email."

...

"Let me say to all of you that I am really, really grateful that you are in here," Gingrich said. "This is very encouraging. It makes me feel very good. This is a very key part of this campaign getting launched in the right direction. You're much more believable than a 30-second TV ad."

Gingrich told reporters Wednesday he's not spending the kind of money some of his GOP competitors are shelling out in Iowa ahead of next month's straw poll, but is relying on a grassroots approach to stay in the race -- focusing instead on town hall meetings, call-in shows, and conference calls with thousands of voters at a time.

"I think that we are improving," Gingrich said. "We went through a period that was disruptive with the consultants. I believe in a positive, solutions-oriented campaign of substance. As we've now moved away from the consultants and back to that model, we're getting more and more coverage and having more and more impact. This country has to have a conversation with itself."

One of his volunteers patted Gingrich on the back and told him, "We're so proud of you. We know you can, because you have."

Susan Euart, who stopped by for a couple of hours to write letters, said she still thinks Gingrich has a shot because she doesn't think the next election will be about money.

"President Obama won because he had an incredible network," Euart said. "He had tons of money. I think people aren't looking at that this time. I really think they'll look past all the fancy ads. People care about who has got real answers, who says what they're going to do and who do they believe."

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