The ballad of poor Newt: Gingrich campaign scrounges for cash, but 'soldiers on'

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's campaign has grown so short on funds that it now charges $50 to take a picture with the former Georgia congressman.

"In a sign that his campaign is in need of fresh funds," CBS News reported, "Newt Gingrich on Monday began charging $50 to have a photograph taken with him. … It was the first time the former House speaker has charged those attending one of his public speaking events to pose for a photograph with him. Lately, a member of his campaign staff has been snapping photographs of any interested attendee and later posting them online at the campaign's website, newt.org."

And yet, Team Newt still presses forward. In a Monday article titled "Gingrich soldiers on, despite dearth of delegates," the New York Times examined the candidate's motivation for staying in the race.

"Primary by primary, Newt Gingrich’s reasons for remaining in the presidential race keep getting knocked down. … But humiliation has not changed his will to stay in the race, and now he has advanced another rationale — he can exert leverage over policy debates, in his party as well as in countering President Obama, who Mr. Gingrich is convinced has been forced to go on the defensive over gasoline prices precisely because of his attacks."

In the Real Clear Politics seven-day average of national GOP polling, Gingrich's ranks third with 15 percent — a far cry from leaders Mitt Romney (37.3 percent) and Rick Santorum (29.3 percent).

The decline of Gingrich's candidacy is further illustrated by a Monday report from Politico that "the last two print reporters covering Gingrich full-time on the trail — from Politico and the Atlanta Journal Constitution — pulled out on Friday. … These and other print outlets will continue to cover Gingrich on occasion, but the sustained traveling press has been reduced to the television networks, which will remain."