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Dawn Rizos donated $5,000 to open 'Newt's Nook'.

(CNN)– Despite being uninvited to a "private dinner" given by Newt Gingrich, the owner of a Dallas topless club has no hard feelings. She used the money meant for a donation to the former house speaker's political organization to open up a dog shelter in his honor.

Last month, Dawn Rizos, owner of Dallas topless club The Lodge, received a letter from Gingrich's American Solutions inviting her to dine with Gingrich at a Capitol Hill club. She was also told she had been selected to receive an Entrepreneur of the Year Award. "Dawn – Newt is looking forward to finally meeting you face to face" to talk policy, read a handwritten note on the missive.

Lodge spokesman Michael Precker said they were told the group would need $5,000 to confirm her attendance, which they promptly paid. Shortly after, they were notified by a marketing company working for American Solutions that the invite had been mistakenly extended, and was being rescinded.

"Newt's Nook" opened its doors earlier this week, thanks to a $5,000 donation made by Rizos to the Animal Guardians, a dog rescue shelter 40 miles outside of Dallas. The shelter is meant to provide a place for dogs to recuperate until they are adopted.

"We're thrilled to help such a worthy project," said Rizos. "Instead of holding a grudge, we decided to make something positive out of his bad manners."

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Gingrich to hold jobs summit one day before Obama's.

Washington (CNN) – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will kick off a series of town halls on jobs next month, one day before President Barack Obama holds a jobs forum at the White House.

Gingrich's American Solutions organization announced Monday that Gingrich will hold what it calls a "real jobs summit" in Cincinnati, Ohio, followed by another the next day in Jackson, Mississippi. That's the same day Obama holds his forum in Washington.

The president announced on November 12 that his forum will include representatives from business, organized labor, and academia, among other sectors.

The nation's unemployment rate now stands at 10.2 percent, the highest level in more than a quarter century.

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Palin's favorable numbers among Iowa Republicans are strong, says a new poll - though one in four members of her party there have doubts.

(CNN) - Sarah Palin's book tour brings her to Iowa in two weeks. If the former Alaska governor and last year's GOP vice presidential nominee decides to return to Iowa down to road to explore a race for the White House, a new survey suggests that Republicans in the state like her - but have some doubts.

According to a Des Moines Register Iowa poll, 68 percent of Hawkeye Republicans view Palin favorably. That's a statistically insignificant 2 points behind those who have a positive view of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, which traditionally kick off the presidential primary season.

Among other potential 2012 candidates: The survey indicates that two out of three view former House Speaker Newt Gingrich favorably and 58 percent have a positive view of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"With those kinds of numbers, if she were to become a candidate, while it's not a sure thing, she would be starting out in a very good position," veteran Iowa GOP strategist David Roederer told the Des Moines Register. Roederer ran McCain's 2008 Iowa campaign.

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Newt Gingrich endorsed Hoffman via Twitter Saturday.

WASHINGTON (CNN)– Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who came under fire from some conservatives for endorsing Dede Scozzafava in next week's special Congressional election in New York, is now backing Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Gingrich made the announcement via Twitter shortly after the Republican Party nominee Scozzafava announced she was releasing supporters from their commitment to back her.

"Scozzafava dropping out leaves hoffman as only anti-tax anti-pelosi vote in ny 23 Every voter opposed to tax increases support doug hoffman," Gingrich wrote on Twitter. (Tweet shown as it appeared)

Polling showed that Scozzafava was running third in this special election for what had been a traditionally safe Republican seat.

But a split among Republicans over who to support, Scozzafava or the more conservative Hoffman, opened the door for Democratic nominee Bill Owens to capture the seat.

National Republican Party officials, who had also endorsed Scozzafava, are now lining up behind Hoffman.

This new show of GOP unity will make it more difficult for Owens to win the election on Tuesday.

Gingrich spoke to CNN Radio.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has taken considerable heat from conservative activists for endorsing Republican Dede Scozzafava over Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in next month's special congressional election in New York.

But Gingrich is defending his approach to re-building the Republican Party. It begins, he said, by accommodating those who might disagree with you.

"Both parties have to recognize, you can create a center-right majority in America, which we did with Reagan in '80 and we did it again with the 'Contract with America' in '94," Gingrich said in an interview with CNN Radio. "You can't have a purely right-wing majority; you can't have a purely left-wing majority."

The former speaker claimed that Democrats are doing their part to help the GOP by promoting a liberal ideology. "Today, the Democrats are moving toward a secular-socialist model that is guaranteed minority in America," he said.

And he was cautiously optimistic about the 2010 midterm elections.

"Next year, I think we could win [governorships in] Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin, the Senate seat in Illinois. In Ohio, we could win both the governorship and the Senate seat," Gingrich said. He also predicted losses for three prominent Democratic incumbents: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

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Gingrich is taking aim at Obama on Twitter.

(CNN) - Former House Speak Newt Gingrich is taking aim on Twitter at President Obama over Chicago's loss in its bid to host the 2016 Olympics:

@newtgingrich Somehow charm and oratory dont seem to work in foreign affirs but historians have warned that foreign policy is different than campaigning

@newtgingrich President Eisenhower had a rule that Presidents of the United States went to the meetings after success had been assured

@newtgingrich President Obama fails to get the Olympics while unemployment goes to 9.8% Iran continues nuclear program. America needs focused leadership

Gingrich group withdraws invite to adult entertainment exec.

(CNN) - For the second time this month, Newt Gingrich's 527 has decided that it made a mistake inviting an adult entertainment industry entrepreneur to attend a "private dinner" with the former House Speaker.

Dawn Rizos, owner of Dallas topless club The Lodge, received a letter earlier this month from Gingrich's American Solutions inviting her to dine with Gingrich at a Capitol Hill club next week. She was also told she had been selected to receive an Entrepreneur of the Year Award. "Dawn - Newt is looking forward to finally meeting you face to face" to talk policy, read a handwritten note on the missive.

Lodge spokesman Michael Precker says they were told the group would need $5,000 to confirm her attendance, which they promptly paid.

On Tuesday, Rizos - who Precker said had laid out the funds for her own travel to the event - was informed by a marketing company working for American Solutions that the invite had been mistakenly extended, and was being rescinded.

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Gingrich group withdraws invite to adult entertainment exec.

(CNN) - For the second time this month, Newt Gingrich's 527 has decided that it made a mistake inviting an adult entertainment industry entrepreneur to attend a "private dinner" with the former House Speaker.

Dawn Rizos, owner of Dallas topless club The Lodge, received a letter earlier this month from Gingrich's American Solutions inviting her to dine with Gingrich at a Capitol Hill club next week. She was also told she had been selected to receive an Entrepreneur of the Year Award. "Dawn - Newt is looking forward to finally meeting you face to face" to talk policy, read a handwritten note on the missive.

Lodge spokesman Michael Precker says they were told the group would need $5,000 to confirm her attendance, which they promptly paid.

On Tuesday, Rizos - who Precker said had laid out the funds for her own travel to the event - was informed by a marketing company working for American Solutions that the invite had been mistakenly extended, and was being rescinded.

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A reception with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal raised $250,000 for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Bob McDonnell is having a good day.

The Republican candidate for governor in Virginia will rake in $350,000 on Monday thanks to a pair of fundraisers headlined by GOP stars Newt Gingrich and Bobby Jindal, a campaign aide told CNN.

A Monday morning breakfast reception with the former House Speaker in Falls Church netted McDonnell $100,000 from 125 guests. McDonnell will also take in a healthy $250,000 this evening at a fundraising reception with Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, to be held at the Great Falls home of Washington Redskins co-owner Dwight Schar.

Today's cash haul comes one week after another GOP star, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, helped McDonnell raise $100,000 at a reception on Capitol Hill.

The Democratic National Committee responded to the appearances by calling McDonnell, Gingrich and Jindal "right wing ideologues" who share "extreme positions on women's issues."

Meanwhile, the campaign of Democrat Creigh Deeds is hyping a "major campaign endorsement" from a statewide elected official to be announced Tuesday morning in northern Virginia.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will speak at the conference on Friday evening.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Conservatives will descend upon the nation's capital Friday for the 2009 "Values Voter Summit," the fourth annual gathering of like-minded political activists who will plot 2010 strategy and hear several potential presidential prospects discuss the GOP's future.

In-between speeches, attendees will also participate in forums with titles ranging from “Thugocracy: Fighting The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy” to “Global Warming Hysteria.”

Perhaps the most anticipated event of the weekend will be "2012 Presidential Straw Poll," the results of which are scheduled to be announced Saturday.

The potential Republican candidates on the ballot are: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

Romney won a similar straw poll in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference, which was held at the same hotel and featured many of the same speakers. Romney also won the last Values Voter straw poll - in October 2007 - when he narrowly defeated Huckabee in a vote that was open to both attendees and people who signed up to vote on the internet. This year’s survey will only be open to conference-goers.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) - Two of the most outspoken people in politics are putting their ideological differences aside to team up on an initiative to help rebuild the nation's public schools.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rev. Al Sharpton will join Education Secretary Arne Duncan on a tour to encourage cities to fix their schools, the Department of Education announced Friday.

Calling Gingrich and Sharpton "two of the most candid people I have ever known," Duncan said in a statement that that there will be "some provocative conversations on education reform." The trio will visit Philadelphia on Sept. 29, New Orleans on Nov. 3 and Baltimore on November 13. More stops, including one in a rural setting, will be added later, the Education department said.

Gingrich and Sharpton met with President Obama in May to discuss education reform.

NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg sent out his first Twitter message in both English and Spanish.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who built a communications empire by fusing technology and journalism, entered the Twittersphere Tuesday when he sent out his first micro-blog message. And he did it with a twist.

Bloomberg, who is seeking a third term in November, sent out a note that was written in English and Spanish.  @MikeBloomberg wrote: "Good morning! Trying this out during my spanish lesson. Como se dice 'first tweet'?"

News quickly spread around that the mayor's first tweet was partly in Spanish, but it is not the first time a language other than English has been used to convey a message by a politician on Twitter. For example, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has a Twitter account that only tweets his news in Spanish. And the White House not only tweets in English and Spanish, but has also sent out a message in Farsi.

Twitter does not maintain data on how many Hispanics use the social networking or how many people tweet in Spanish. Yukari Matsuzawa, who heads Twitter's International team, did tell CNN via e-mail, "It is very exciting though that Mayor Bloomberg is tweeting in Spanish! We hope to encourage more international tweets."

House Democrats feature former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in a new fundraising push.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Democrats feature former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in a new fundraising push that is doubling as a way to distribute talking points on the issue of health care reform.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee blasted out an email Wednesday accusing Republicans of trying to "defeat health insurance reform" with "lies," as well as disrupting town hall meetings that are taking place during the summer congressional recess.

"Now, Sarah Palin is outrageously claiming that Americans 'would have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel" to receive care," DCCC Executive Director Jon Vogel writes in the email that includes a picture of the former Alaska governor. "While Palin's attack is a complete fabrication, the GOP is closing ranks to defend these outright lies. Over the weekend, former Speaker Newt Gingrich stood by Palin's bizarre "death panel" accusation on national TV."

Related: Palin's favorable rating dips in new CNN poll

A hyperlink embedded in the email then takes supporters to the DCCC Web site where people can print out a free copy of the talking points or if they make a donation then a set of "five pre-printed 'Health Care Fact Check' Cards on heavy-duty card stock to keep or share with friends and family" will be sent to their address.

Using the image or name of an opponent is often used by both Democrats and Republicans to encourage people to contribute money as well as excite grassroots activists to become involved in a political campaign or cause.

A political organization chaired by Newt Gingrich announced Friday that it has raised $8 million since the beginning of the year.

(CNN) – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's political organization reported Friday it had raised more than $8 million in the first half of the year, a cash haul that significantly dwarfs that which other high-profile Republicans have raised in the same time period.

But Gingrich's organization, American Solutions for Winning the Future, is incorporated as a 527 group, and is not subject to the same contribution limits as political action committees - the type of organizations most politicians spearhead, including fellow potential presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, and Mike Huckabee.

Unlike PACs, 527s can also directly accept funds from corporations but is barred from directly contributing to a candidate or financing a potential White House bid.

Dan Kotman, the spokesman for American Solutions, said Gingrich was only "one part of the fundraising process."

"He played a role as our general chairman, but there were a lot of other factors," Kotman said.

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Palin was in Washington on Monday attending to state business.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Newt Gingrich was the keynote speaker at Monday’s night’s fundraising dinner for the Senate and House Republican campaign committees, but it was Sarah Palin who stole the show.

The Alaska governor’s last-minute appearance at the GOP’s biggest fundraiser of the year ended 24 hours of speculation that the she might skip the event altogether after a series of scheduling disputes. A late attempt to have her speak at the dinner fell through over the weekend when organizers feared she might upstage Gingrich, the onetime House speaker.

Just hours before the event was slated to begin, an aide to Palin would not confirm that she would be attending. But when Palin and her husband Todd sauntered across the stage with Gingrich and his wife Callista shortly before the program commenced, their appearance was met with cheers from the audience of 2,000 party loyalists.

Sen. John McCain, who shared last year’s Republican presidential ticket with Palin, greeted his former running mate as she made her way to her table. Soon after, the former GOP presidential nominee tweeted: “Great to see Sarah and Todd at the dinner tonight — nice reunion!”

Palin did not speak at the event, but during a break in the program for dinner, Republicans clustered around the former vice presidential nominee’s table near the front of the ballroom, eager to meet the governor and pose for pictures.

It was the only table in the vast ballroom that had a crowd gathered around it - and despite their distance from Palin’s table, multiple television cameras kept their lenses trained on the governor for much of the evening.

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Palin was in Washington on Monday attending to state business.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Newt Gingrich was the keynote speaker at Monday’s night’s fundraising dinner for the Senate and House Republican campaign committees, but it was Sarah Palin who stole the show.

The Alaska governor’s last-minute appearance at the GOP’s biggest fundraiser of the year ended 24 hours of speculation that the she might skip the event altogether after a series of scheduling disputes. A late attempt to have her speak at the dinner fell through over the weekend when organizers feared she might upstage Gingrich, the onetime House speaker.

Just hours before the event was slated to begin, an aide to Palin would not confirm that she would be attending. But when Palin and her husband Todd sauntered across the stage with Gingrich and his wife Callista shortly before the program commenced, their appearance was met with cheers from the audience of 2,000 party loyalists.

Sen. John McCain, who shared last year’s Republican presidential ticket with Palin, greeted his former running mate as she made her way to her table. Soon after, the former GOP presidential nominee tweeted: “Great to see Sarah and Todd at the dinner tonight — nice reunion!”

Palin did not speak at the event, but during a break in the program for dinner, Republicans clustered around the former vice presidential nominee’s table near the front of the ballroom, eager to meet the governor and pose for pictures.

It was the only table in the vast ballroom that had a crowd gathered around it - and despite their distance from Palin’s table, multiple television cameras kept their lenses trained on the governor for much of the evening.

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Gingrich tweeted last week that Sotomayor is a 'latina woman racist.'

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Well, well.

After initially waiting a few nanoseconds to call Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor a racist - not to mention advising that she just ought to withdraw from consideration - Newt Gingrich has had a sudden change of heart. Or at least vocabulary.

In the conservative magazine Human Events, he writes on Wednesday: "My initial reaction was strong and direct - perhaps too strong and too direct.

... Since then, some who want to have an open and honest consideration of Judge Sotomayor's fitness to serve on the nation's highest court have been critical of my word choice. ... The word 'racist' should not have been applied to Judge Sotomayor as a person, even if her words themselves are unacceptable."

An apology from Newt? And one that contains a string of thoughts too long to Twitter? How can that be?

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Gingrich tweeted last week that Sotomayor is a 'latina woman racist.'

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A week after sparking a political firestorm with a line on Twitter, Newt Gingrich is looking to cool the controversy in print.

Last week, the former House Speaker alluded to a line in a 2001 speech by Judge Sonia Sotomayor, in which President Obama's Supreme Court pick said she hoped that a "wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Gingrich tweeted: "Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a latina woman.' new racism is no better than old racism" and "White man racist nominee would be forced to withdraw. Latina woman racist should also withdraw."

(Update: Sen. Jeff Sesssions Reaction)
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Cornyn on Thursday said statements calling Sotomayor a racist are 'terrible.'

(CNN) - A top Senate Republican is taking aim at recent statements from conservative commentators Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich suggesting Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is a "racist."

"I think it's terrible," Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told NPR's "All Things Considered" Thursday. "This is not the kind of tone any of us want to set when it comes to performing our constitutional responsibilities of advise and consent.”

Both the popular radio host and former GOP House Speaker have suggested Obama's pick for the high court is a racist while referencing a 2001 speech at Berkeley during which Sotomayor said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman, with the richness of her experiences, would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Related: In her own words: Sotomayor's 'Latina' speech

"Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a latina woman.' new racism is no better than old racism," Gingrich wrote on Twitter Wednesday.

"Here you have a racist – you might want to soften that, and you might want to say a reverse racist," Limbaugh said the day before on his radio program.

Senate Republicans meanwhile have largely withheld judgment on Sotomayor, though many - including Cornyn - have taken issue with some of her past statements and rulings.

"We are all a product of our upbringing and who we are and I think it’s a fact people do have different backgrounds, but I don't think those background ought to determine what the law is," Cornyn said to NPR of Sotomayor's Berkeley comments.

The NRSC chief also brushed off the Limbaugh and Gingrich statements while noting neither man holds an elected office.

"Neither one of these men are elected Republican officials. I just don't think it’s appropriate. I certainly don't endorse it. I think it’s wrong," he said.

Cornyn on Thursday said statements calling Sotomayor a racist are 'terrible.'

(CNN) - A top Senate Republican is taking aim at recent statements from conservative commentators Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich suggesting Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is a "racist."

"I think it's terrible," Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told NPR's "All Things Considered" Thursday. "This is not the kind of tone any of us want to set when it comes to performing our constitutional responsibilities of advise and consent.”

Both the popular radio host and former GOP House Speaker have suggested Obama's pick for the high court is  a racist while referencing a 2001 speech at Berkeley during which Sotomayor said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman, with the richness of her experiences, would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

Related: In her own words: Sotomayor's 'Latina' speech

"Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a latina woman.' new racism is no better than old racism," Gingrich wrote on Twitter Wednesday.

"Here you have a racist – you might want to soften that, and you might want to say a reverse racist," Limbaugh said the day before on his radio program.

Senate Republicans meanwhile have largely withheld judgment on Sotomayor, though many - including Cornyn - have taken issue with some of her past statements and rulings.

"We are all a product of our upbringing and who we are and I think it’s a fact people do have different backgrounds, but I don't think those background ought to determine what the law is," Cornyn said to NPR of Sotomayor's Berkeley comments.

The NRSC chief also brushed off the Limbaugh and Gingrich statements while noting neither man holds an elected office.

"Neither one of these men are elected Republican officials. I just don't think it’s appropriate. I certainly don't endorse it. I think it’s wrong," he said.