Guess He's Going For It?

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) will visit Iowa later this month to keynote the American Future Fund's Conservative Lecture Series.

The event, which takes place in Davenport on May 26, is the latest sign that that the former House leader isn't just dabbling with a run for president in 2012. No politician goes to Iowa by accident. It just doesn't happen. Gingrich's schedule reads like that of a presidential wannabe.

He addressed the Republican National Committee's meeting of state chairs and is also slated to speak at this weekend's annual meeting of the National Rifle Association in Charlotte, North Carolina. The organization hosting the event, Iowa-based American Future Fund, has been actively involved in key 2010 primaries. The advocacy group has spent over $1 million on TV ads in the California Senate race targeting former Rep. Tom Campbell (R) for his refusal to sign an anti-tax pledge, and has run more than $100,000 worth of TV ads against ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) in Kentucky's Senate contest.

Gingrich's Iowa visit, which would be the first of the 2010 cycle, had previously been announced in early March. However, he had previously been slated to attend only two events: the Polk County Republican Party's spring fundraiser in Des Moines, and a fundraising luncheon in Cedar Rapids.

If he weren't interested, he wouldn't be in Iowa. He'd be writing more alt-history World War Two books in his cabin. Or maybe alt-Korean war where Macarthur's use of nuclear bombs as suppressing fire on the Chinese kick starts WWIII. Just an idea, Newt. Run with that.