Gingrich Hires a Political Director and Announces an Endorsement

While his presidential campaign is suddenly facing greater challenges, Newt Gingrich has turned to a political professional, Martin Baker, who is coming on board as political director.


And on Monday, the campaign confirmed a pending endorsement from former Representative J. C. Watts of Oklahoma, who served with Mr. Gingrich in the House. The announcement  comes as a chorus of current and former House Republicans have been warning that nominating Mr. Gingrich for president would be a disaster and that he would lose to President Obama.


Mr. Baker’s appointment, first reported by Politico on Sunday and confirmed by the campaign, sends a signal that Mr. Gingrich is buckling down for the fight. He has rather merrily dismissed political professionals as a class, especially since many abandoned his campaign in June. But now that money is coming in, he can afford to hire one.


The question is whether it is too late — Mr. Gingrich’s once-surging poll numbers are now sagging and he lags in organizing for the Iowa caucuses, just two weeks away. Mr. Baker founded a direct mail firm, Political Ink, and has worked in numerous House campaigns. According to the company’s Web site, Mr. Baker was the national field director for the National Republican Congressional Committee and in 2004 served as the committee’s regional political director for the Northeast and Midwest. He was also campaign director for the Republican Party in Virginia and served as communications director for Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, when Mr. Vitter was in the House.