Gingrich Will Campaign For Chenoweth After All House Speaker Finally Reschedules Visit He Canceled Out Of Retaliation
Nearly eight months after canceling a fund-raising trip in retaliation for U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth’s opposition to a leadership budget plan, House Speaker Newt Gingrich is coming to Boise to help bolster the freshman Republican’s re-election bid.
Chenoweth campaign manager Jim Gambrell said Gingrich has confirmed an Aug. 22 stop in Boise for a morning fundraiser at a local hotel. The 8 a.m. breakfast carries a $100 price tag, the same contribution set for the canceled rally on Jan. 10.
But Gambrell said the price for a photograph with the speaker has dropped from the $1,000 established for the January event to $250.
About $20,000 in tickets were sold for the Jan. 10 event, and campaign finance disclosure statements show the campaign has $2,000 in refunds including $200 to the state Republican Party.
Gingrich, whom public opinion polls indicate has low national ratings, postponed the January fund-raiser a day before it was to occur.
But later that same day, Gingrich spokesman Tony Blankley said that the speaker was prioritizing his January campaign efforts on behalf of GOP freshmen and was giving preference to those who voted for the budget plan he supported to end the partial government shutdown.
Chenoweth along with at least two Indiana GOP congressmen were among the 15 House Republicans opposing the speaker on that bill.
The disclosure of Gingrich’s retaliatory action prompted Republican Sen. Larry Craig to demand an apology from the Georgia Republican. Craig also said he believed a number of Idaho Republicans were disappointed with the speaker.
There was no indication whether that feeling persists.
To counter the Chenoweth event, Democratic Challenger Dan Williams intends to repeat his “No Newt Night” that grossed over $4,000 on Jan. 10 even though Gingrich did not show up.
Williams hopes to benefit from an Aug. 7 appearance by former Texas Gov. Ann Richards. That event is $250 a couple.
xxxx THE VISIT The House Speaker will be in Boise Aug. 22 for a morning fund-raiser.