Romney Campaign Press Release - Speaker Gingrich's Former GOP Colleagues Weigh In

Republicans Who Served With Gingrich, On His Leadership Abilities:

Former Missouri Senator Jim Talent: Gingrich Is "Not A Reliable And Trusted Conservative Leader Because He's Not A Reliable Or Trustworthy Leader." (Mark Halperin, "Transcript: Gov. John Sununu And Sen. Jim Talent Press Conference Call," Time Magazine, 12/8/11)

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn: "I'm Not Inclined To Be A Supporter Of Newt Gingrich's Having Served Under Him For Four Years And Experienced Personally His Leadership. I Found It Lacking Often Times." (Alexander Burns, "Tom Coburn, Still Not A Newt Gingrich Fan," Politico, 12/4/11)

New York Representative Peter King: "Newt Would Do What Is Best For The Country. His Problem Is He Often Equates What's Best For Him As What's Best For The Country." (Reid Pillifant, "Pete King: Gingrich Is Condescending, Undisciplined, And Bad For The GOP," Capital New York, 12/2/11)

• King: "I Just Found Him To Be Too Much Putting Himself At The Center Of Whatever He Was Trying To Do." (Reid Pillifant, "Pete King: Gingrich Is Condescending, Undisciplined, And Bad For The GOP," Capital New York, 12/2/11)

Former New York Representative Susan Molinari: "[Gingrich] Has These Visions Of Grandiosity." (Nancy Cordes, "Gingrich Has His Critics Among GOP Members," CBS News, 12/7/11)

• Molinari: "Even Though Newt Liked To Talk About Team-Building And Quality Management, The Theory He Really Subscribed To Was Management By Chaos." "‘But even though Newt liked to talk about team-building and quality management, the theory he really subscribed to was management by chaos. He loved chaos, and even when he didn't create it knowingly and intentionally, he managed to leave it in his wake after every meeting, after every press conference, after every phone call'" Molinari wrote." (William Douglas, "When Gingrich Held Power, His GOP Lieutenants Tried To Topple Him," McClatchy , 12/7/11)

North Carolina Senator Richard Burr: "He's A Guy Of 1,000 Ideas, And The Attention Span Of A 1-Year-Old ... His Discipline And His Attention To Any Individual Thing Is Not His Strong Suit." (Cameron Joseph, "Republican Lawmakers Shun Gingrich's Presidential Bid," The Hill, 11/24/11)

Ohio Representative Steve LaTourette On Gingrich's Leadership: "Everything Always Seemed To Be On Fire." "Personally, LaTourette said, he has a ‘hangover' from the days of Gingrich's speakership, when ‘everything always seemed to be on fire.'" (Laurie Kellman, "Gingrich Surge Unnerves Some Republican Lawmakers," The Associated Press, 12/8/11)

A Look Back At Speaker Gingrich's Time As Leader Of The House:

"His Own Conservative Republican Lieutenants Rebelled Against His Rule." "As Gingrich seeks to gain the world's most powerful office, it's worth recalling that when he once held great power in Washington, his own conservative Republican lieutenants rebelled against his rule less than four years after he led them to House majority status for the first time in 40 years. And their disaffection evidently helped persuade him to step down as speaker the next year and leave office." (William Douglas, "When Gingrich Held Power, His GOP Lieutenants Tried To Topple Him," McClatchy, 12/7/11)

"[Gingrich] Was Viewed As A Micromanager Who Had Trouble Delegating And Who Lacked Organizational Skills." "Gingrich as Speaker — and since then, some critics would argue — opined on any subject that struck his fancy, often changed directions after convincing the Republican Conference to support a particular political message, was viewed as a micromanager who had trouble delegating and who lacked organizational skills, and was tagged as arrogant, divisive and unlikable outside the GOP base. As a well-known public figure, Gingrich would have to work to undo this last definition in particular." (David M. Drucker, "Lack Of Discipline Could Bite Gingrich," Roll Call, 12/5/11)

Gingrich "Was A Managerial Disaster, A Mercurial Force Of Nature Who Bubbled With Ideas But Lacked Discipline." "Long before Newt Gingrich became speaker of the House, his closest Republican allies knew he was a managerial disaster, a mercurial force of nature who bubbled with ideas but lacked discipline. Their assessment explains why many Republicans who have dealt with Gingrich over the years exhibit almost feral anxiety about what a Gingrich general-election campaign--let alone, a presidency--would be like." (Major Garrett, "Gingrich: Managerial Disaster?" National Journal/The Atlantic, 12/9/11)