Gingrich shoring up home state support ahead of 2012 announcement

Newt Gingrich will shore up support in his home state of Georgia ahead of an expected announcement that he’s forming a presidential exploratory committee.

The former House speaker is set to be in Atlanta Thursday afternoon for a meeting with Gov. Nathan Deal (R) at the state Capitol. The two men, who served together in Congress, will then hold a joint presser on states’ rights, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

There won’t be any presidential announcement during the event, said Deal spokesman Brian Robinson. “We aren’t having anything to do with anything else.”

{mosads}Deal has indicated he will support Gingrich’s presidential bid, according to the AJC.

Several reports on Tuesday indicated that Gingrich, who is now a Virginia resident, plans to announce the formation of a presidential exploratory committee by the end of the week. 

Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler told The Ballot Box that the Republican will decide on an exploratory committee “one way or the other” within the week.

One weakness for Gingrich could be his nuanced stance on immigration, which doesn’t lend itself to an easy explanation for a conservative talk-radio audience.

“If I was his adviser, I would just say, ‘Let’s call a truce on that one for now,’ ” said Rep. Jack Kingston, a Georgia Republican who served with Gingrich in the House. “Immigration and illegal aliens are still a very, very hot topic. And people who will be voting in the Republican primary do not want to hear about any backdoor amnesty program.”