New super PAC roars to Newt Gingrich’s aid

A new super PAC has arrived to come to the aid of Newt Gingrich’s ascendant presidential campaign, one that is well-positioned to tap into the donor network the former House speaker has cultivated since leaving Congress.

The group, called “Winning Our Future” is led by Becky Burkett, who has experience in soliciting big checks for Gingrich-backed endeavors. She was previously handled donor outreach for Gingrich’s Washington-based nonprofit, American Solutions for Winning the Future. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the group raked in $28.2 million in the 2010 election cycle, including $1 million from Las Vegas Sands Chief Executive Sheldon Adelson and six-figure checks from companies such as Peabody Energy.

(Does all the “winning the future” talk sound familiar? It’s also President Obama’s catchphrase for promoting American innovation, a theme unveiled at last January’s State of the Union address. Gingrich has used the phrase for years, even penning a 2005 book with that title.)

“We are motivated by the fact that Americans must make the right choice next November at the ballot box or this great nation will not be recognizable,” Burkett said in a statement. “What is so exciting is that more and more Americans are beginning to realize that Newt Gingrich is the right choice and Barack Obama is the wrong choice. And so, we are proud to be part of an effort to enhance the momentum he has created.”

As the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday, Burkett’s group is one of two outside efforts formed solely to back Gingrich’s bid; the other, named “Solutions 2012,” launched in early November and has an operating budget of $10 million. Both can solicit unlimited donations from individuals and corporations.

Both groups position themselves as counterweights to the onslaught of ads from Gingrich opponents. Restore Our Future, a super PAC backing Mitt Romney, announced a massive $3.1 million media buy in Iowa last week. Since then, it has been blanketing the state with a tough 60-second spot knocking Gingrich on a number of past policy positions.