The state of the Republican race for the White House came into focus in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, as a Republican crowd gave Newt Gingrich thunderous ovations while GOP lawmakers in Congress squirmed at questions about Gingrich's candidacy.
"This will be a fifty state campaign," Gingrich said to loud applause at a forum of Jewish Republicans, as the former Speaker savaged President Obama's foreign policy choices, saying it stunk of "appeasement."
"As many of you know, I'm a student of history," said Gingrich, rolling out red meat for his audience.
"Unlike Barack Obama, I've studied American history," Gingrich said to huge cheers.
When his speech was over, it sounded like Gingrich could have motivated the crowd to rush up Pennsylvania Avenue and seize the Capitol, just as he has captured the support of Republicans in key primary and caucus states.
But up on Capitol Hill, GOP lawmakers were still playing hard to get for Gingrich, demonstrating a Republican Establishment that's seemingly disinterested in his bid for the White House.
"Newt and I are friends," said Speaker John Boehner, who refused to even tip his hat to the former Speaker, repeating the mantra of Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, that neither will endorse any one in the Presidential race.
Even rank-and-file Republicans seemed spooked by Gingrich's rush up in the polls.
"I'm not focused on who I would like to see as the President," said Rep. Paul Broun of Gingrich's home state of Georgia.
In a short interview off the House floor, Broun didn't even bring himself to say Gingrich's name in response to any of my questions.
That happened with other GOP lawmakers this week, as the mere mention of Gingrich's name seems to give them the heebie-jeebies.
"He will do that to people," said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia, who became one of the handful of Gingrich backers in the Congress this week.
The difference could not have been more striking. At one end of Pennsylvania Avenue, there was a crowd screaming for Gingrich, as the former Speaker smiled broadly and delivered scathing verbal attacks on President Obama.
While discussing his plan for a series of Lincoln-Douglas type debates with Mr. Obama, Gingrich mockingly said it would be okay for the President to use a teleprompter in the debate.
"After all, if you had to defend ObamaCare, wouldn't you want a teleprompter?" Gingrich said to huge cheers.
Gingrich was en fuego at his event.
While in the halls of the Capitol, House Republicans seemed to regard him like the crazy lab experiment that's gone wrong.
It was a tale of two Newts, the one that is exciting Republican voters and the one that is scaring the tar out of Republicans in the Congress.
