2007 (3 visits, 4 days)
>Former Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Iowa on August 10-11, 2007.  On August 10 at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines he did a book signing a the Republican Party of Iowa booth and then walked around with his grandkids.  On August 11 he attended the Iowa Republican Straw Poll on the Iowa State University campus in Ames, where his group American Solutions had a tent and held six workshops.

>Former Speaker Newt Gingrich made three stops in Iowa on June 28, 2007 in his role as chairman of American Solutions.  He did a morning event at Fiona's Firehouse Bistro in Sioux City; a mid-day event at Quality Inn in Iowa City; and an afternoon event at the West Des Moines Marriott in West Des Moines.

>On May 22, 2007 in Iowa, former Speaker Newt Gingrich attended a 5th District Federation of Republican Women reception and did a book signing at Council Bluffs Public Library in Council Bluffs; and did a book signing at the Barnes & Noble on University Avenue in West Des Moines.

2007 1st Q
no visits

2006 (3 visits: 7 days)
>Former Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Iowa on August 10-12, 2006.
On August 10 he participated in an "idea raiser" at the home of Senate candidate Barbara Blanchard in Sioux City; and attended a fundraiser for Jim Nussle's gubernatorial campaign at Luciano's in Sioux City.
On August 11 he attended a Legislative Majority Fund breakfast (joint fundraising breakfast for Senate Leader Mary Lundby (SD-17) and State Rep. Kraig Paulsen (HD-35)) at the Cedar Rapids Country Club; attended a fundraiser with Jeff Lamberti at Wakonda Country Club in Des Moines; did a book signing for "Winning the Future" at the Republican Party of Iowa booth at the State Fair and then walked around the Fair with his grandson including a visit to the "Little Hands on the Farm" display, in Des Moines; and attended an Iowans for Tax Relief dinner at Fratello's in West Des Moines.
On August 12 in Des Moines he started with a Winning the Future breakfast at Republican Party headquarters (a gathering of conservatives who like Newt; not a fundraiser or sponsored by the IA GOP); and went to the State Fair for a second day, where he engaged in a dialogue on renewable fuels with Gov. Vilsack at the Penningroth Media Center and then walked around the Fair.

>Former Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Iowa on May 2-3, 2006.  On May 2 he started with live radio interviews, spoke at an Iowans for Nussle fundraising event in the Heritage Room of First Citizens National Bank in Mason City; and joined Jim Nussle and Bob Vander Plaats to speak on "Rural Healthcare Challenges and Solutions" in the new dental facility at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge.  On May 3 he spoke at an Iowans for Nussle event at the Best Western Midway Motel in Dubuque; spoke on "Rural Healthcare Challenges and Solutions" at the Regional Medical Center in Manchester; and spoke at an Iowans for Nussle fundraising luncheon at VGM & Associates in Waterloo.

>Former Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Iowa on April 28-29, 2006.
On April 28 he toured the Virtual Reality Applications Center at Iowa State University in Ames; spoke on "American strategies for success in competing with China and India in a globalized world market" in Howe Hall Auditorium at Iowa State University in Ames; did "Iowa Press" at Iowa Public Television in Johnston; and did "The Insiders" at WHO-TV in Des Moines.
On April 29 he met with Nussle for Governor phone bank volunteers; met with Iowa Farm Bureau leaders at the organization's headquarters in West Des Moines; spoke to Republican Party of Iowa volunteers at the headquarters in Des Moines; and hosted a reception for the Republican Party of Iowa, did a book signing with Sean Hannity, taped an interview with Sean Hannity (aired May 2), and with Sean Hannity headlined the Republican Party of Iowa's annual Abraham Lincoln Dinner at Embassy Suites in Des Moines (this was reported to be the largest Lincoln Day Dinner in Iowa history with over 1,000 people attending).
 

2005 (3 visits: 7 days)
>Former Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Iowa on October 29-30, 2005. On October 29 he attended a fundraising breakfast for the Legislative Majority Fund (Republican legislative candidates) at the home of Dan and Debi Latham in Mason City; flew to Cedar Rapids; attended a Legislative Majority Fund event at the home of Steven Rathje in Swisher; to Grinnell; met with Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Lang; and attended a reception for Speaker Pro Tempore Danny Carroll at the Carroll Pumpkin Farm in Grinnell.  On October 30 he had breakfast with DMR columnist David Yepsen; met with bio-deisel experts at the Iowa Energy Center (affiliated with Iowa State University); and took a private tour of Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.

>Former Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Iowa on August 12-13, 2005.
On August 12 he spoke at a Rotary Club breakfast at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines; met with former Gov. Terry Branstad at Des Moines University; did WHO-AM 1040's "Mickelson in the Morning" radio show; called in to "The Tony Snow Show"; held a health transformation roundtable at Des Moines Area Community College downtown campus' student education center auditorium (about 260 students and faculty in attendance); toured Pioneer Hi-Bred International in Johnston; called in to the "Sean Hannity Show" radio program; and appeared live on Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes."
On August 13 he appeared at fundraiser for U.S. House candidate Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny at the Republican Party of Iowa headquarters; made welcome remarks at a GOPAC-sponsored training session for school board candidates at the Republican Party of Iowa headquarters; toured the Iowa State Fair with State Sen. John Putney (Dist. 20, Gladbrook); and signed his book at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.  That was it for the schedule, but in a fortuitous turn of events Gov. Vilsack ran into the Gingrich contingent and invited him to participate as a co-celebrity in the 23nd annual Governor’s Charity Steer Show, which he did.
Gingrich had planned to stay until midday on August 14 but left on a more convenient early morning flight without doing any events.
Note: Just before this visit, on August 10, came the news that the Gingrich Foundation had made a $25,000 gift to establish the Newt L. and Callista L. Gingrich Scholarship at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

>Former Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Iowa on May 11-13, 2005.
On the evening of May 11 he did a book signing at the  Barnes and Noble on University Avenue in West Des Moines; did a live appearance on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes;" and taped Iowa Public Television's "Iowa Press" in Johnston.
On May 12 in Des Moines he did a breakfast (free to attend) with the Iowa Wednesday group sponsored by Progress for America, followed by a press conference; an ed board meeting at the Des Moines Register; did a press conference and spoke at Republican Party of Iowa luncheon fundraiser at the Sioux City Convention Center; did an ed board meeting with the Sioux City Journal; did a book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Sioux City; spoke at a RPI fundraising reception at the home of former Congressman Greg Ganske in Des Moines; and taped "The Insiders" for WHO-TV.
On May 13 he spoke at an RPI fundraising breakfast at the Cedar Rapids Marriott followed by a press conference, and did a series of events at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon.  He taught a class, attended a press conference to lauch Cornell’s initiative in the health sciences, called Dimensions: The Center for the Science and Culture of Healthcare >, delivered a lecture “Saving Lives & Saving Money: Transforming Health Care in the 21st Century;” and signed books for attendees.
 
 

Copyright © 2007  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action