Latest Gingrich News: Busy day in New Hampshire next week, Iowa staff update, and a poll

-- Public Policy Polling conducted a poll pitting President Obama against likely GOP candidates. It did something new: it "allocat[ed] the undecideds based on their approval or disapproval of Obama," figuring that once the undecideds become acquainted with the Republican candidates they will back them.

When they did with the Gingrich v. Obama matchup, the President only led 54-46%. That is a very small lead and could easily be erased in the next 18 months.

-- John DiStato of the New Hampshire Union Leader reports on a event-filled day for Newt next week:

Newt Gingrich will return to the state next Wednesday for coffee in Bedford with family values leaders, private meetings in Concord, an appearance on WKXL's "Road to the White House" with Lamontagne and Dean Spiliotes, hosted by Chris Ryan, a mid-day stop at the Barley House in Concord, a private meeting with Tea Party leaders in Dover and an appearance at the NHGOP's new speaker series fund-raiser in Manchester.

-- Newt's Iowa staff will add Linda Upmeyer, the state house's Majority Leader and one of the first public officials to endorse Newt.

Kathie Obradovich tweeted an answer Upmeyer gave at a press conference yesterday that she will be joining Newt's campaign but does not yet know in what role.

CNN touts Newt's fundraising prowess. Also, Liberty University straw poll results.

-- "[T]he vast fundraising groundwork Gingrich has been constructing over the last several years instantly makes him the fundraising powerhouse in the GOP presidential race.

There's no doubt few Republicans will be able to match the president's fundraising machine, but Gingrich just might," CNN writes

-- Over the weekend, Newt spoke at Liberty University, and the gathering voted on who their preference for the GOP nomination is:

Michelle Bachmann: 23%
Mike Huckabee: 22%
Newt Gingrich: 21%
Ron Paul: 12%

"[M]ore people choose “other” than voted for Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney or Haley Barbour," writes Politico.

Newt "highly unlikely" to be at first GOP debate, spokesman Rick Tyler says

Just a few days after it seemed that Newt would be among five Republicans at the South Carolina Republican debate on May 5, word is now that he will not.

The criteria to be at the debate is to either be officially running or having an exploratory committee set up by April 29. It appears that the first week of May is when a formal announcement will come down.

The Iowa Republican on Newt's Iowa staff

Kevin Hall and Craig Robinson write:

House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer is a big backer of the former U.S. House Speaker, but she has been very busy with the legislative session. Gingrich already has a large staff that works for his various groups, and they can easily be transferred to Iowa to build his ground game. Gingrich is another candidate likely to pick up field staffers once the legislative session ends.

Given that Iowa's legislative session will likely end by April 28 and that Newt could very well officially be in the race just a couple of days after that, the last sentence of that quote looks to be right on the money.