Gingrich Woos Religious Right in Presidential Bid
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: Newt Gingrich is entering the 2012 presidential race a familiar face - a 20-year veteran of Congress who served a polarizing turn as House speaker before assuming a career as a prolific political commentator and author.

But Gingrich, who officially announced his White House bid Wednesday, is bringing a decidedly different approach to this contest than he did to his previous stint in public office.

In his speeches and campaign appearances, Gingrich is expected to lay out a political vision that intertwines fiscal and social conservatism, drawing from a newfound interest in religion he has infused into his work in recent years.

It's a message he's expected to make Friday at the Georgia Republican Party convention in what advisers are billing as a formal announcement speech that will marry the concept of American exceptionalism with an emphasis on God-endowed rights. » | Matea Gold, Tom Hamburger, Los Angeles Times | Thursday, May 12, 2011