Newt Gingrich

Gingrich Asks Topless Club Owner For Money -- After Snubbing Her Last Year

David Taintor | December 20, 2010, 8:48AM

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

As we reported, Newt Gingrich's 527 Group named Dawn Rizos -- owner of The Lodge, a gentleman's club in Dallas -- an "Entrepreneur of the Year" in 2009, and invited her to a private dinner in D.C. But once Gingrich found out her business was a topless club, he stripped her of the award, and returned her $5,000 contribution.

But it appears Gingrich is ready to move on -- and is now happy to take her money. In an American Solutions mailer, Gingrich asked, "Will you enclose a special year-end contribution of $1,000, or even as much as $2,000, to American Solutions, Ms. Rizos?"

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2010 elections

GOP 527 Group Will Spend Big And Play Tough

Christina Bellantoni | April 23, 2010, 10:30AM

There has been quite a bit of discussion lately about whether the new Republican campaign group American Crossroads will be competing with the RNC for donations this election season. But while American Crossroads may make some GOPers nervous, founder Jim Dyke says it's the Democrats who should be running scared.

"This is the Republicans using all the tools that are available to try and win in November," Dyke told me in an interview. He's teamed up with former RNC Chairman Mike Duncan and RNC member Joann Davidson and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Steven Law. Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie also are involved.

Dyke said the GOP realized in 2004 that 527 groups ACT and the Media Fund were doing a better job on campaign ads for Democrats than the GOP could do. That kept up in 2006 and 2008, he said. "We've known we needed this for a long time," Dyke said.

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Republicans

New Republican Group Sparks Worries About Party's Future

Christina Bellantoni | April 16, 2010, 12:04PM

The annual Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey 'Elephant Walk' in Washington, D.C.

There is growing worry that a mysterious new Republican political action committee formed by Bush-era heavyweights including Karl Rove could harm the Republican National Committee down the line. As we've been reporting about the RNC's woes and chairman Michael Steele's tenure, more and more GOPers tell me that Rove's new "American Crossroads" group spells trouble.

"That is very destructive to the party," a former very high-ranking RNC official told me in an interview today. The official said the group, which already has $30 million in donor pledges but does not seem to have an active Web site, will have broad implications for the RNC if it is successful during this election cycle.

The former official told me that my story about Steele sparring with Rove and his allies offers a glimpse at where the new group is headed. "They are gathering the sinews of power and drawing off RNC resources. If they have the power, the party will have to turn back to them for leadership," he said.

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