WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich had some blunt advice for Mitt Romney as the presumptive Republican nominee looks for a vice presidential nominee: Don't pick him.
"You have known me a long time," Gingrich told CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, "would you pick me to be presidential vice president nominee? It would be inconceivable."
Gingrich was, at one point in time, the conservative alternative to Romney. But that always seemed more to do with Republican dissatisfaction with the former Massachusetts governor than any emotional tie to the former speaker. The idea that he would serve as a running mate was, more or less, fantastical.
That said, Gingrich did tell CNN that he would be hitting the campaign trail on Romney's behalf.
"We're talking about several dates and several major events we're going to do together," he said on Sunday. "I have said to the campaign I will be available at their convenience to do anything they want me to do because they're in charge. This is their campaign. They've got to win it. And I have got to be there as an associate, but I'm not the leader. Mitt Romney is the leader."
And as for Romney's running mate, Gingrich had a few suggestions.
"I think Romney is going to look for somebody who is younger," said Gingrich, on CNN. "I think he's got somebody like Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire, Rob Portman, Marco Rubio. You look at a Susana Martinez, Bobby Jindal, or you look at somebody like Mitch Daniel. We have a really -- we have a big, deep bench now."
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Posted: 05/06/2012 11:15 am Updated: 05/06/2012 12:06 pm