$30m could put Gingrich on track for White House

"You can't bring all your good ideas if you don't have the resources to communicate," said Newt Gingrich.

WASHINGTON - Former House speaker Newt Gingrich says he still might run for president if supporters will pledge $30 million by November.

"You can't bring all your good ideas if you don't have the resources to communicate," Gingrich told reporters yesterday.

Gingrich is holding a national Internet-based workshop next week. Afterward, his top political adviser, Randy Evans, will spend October seeing if he can generate pledges of $30 million, which Gingrich said would be needed to compete with the leader in the GOP presidential money chase, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

On Nov. 1, if the pledges pan out, Gingrich will consider running, he said. He didn't say when he would decide but noted that Nov. 13, when Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy in 1979, is a "propitious" date.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rudy Giuliani raised campaign cash in London on Wednesday, and he's not the only presidential candidate looking abroad.

The first half of this year, overseas contributions totaled at least $471,500 - nearly more than was brought in during the entire 2000 race and on pace to exceed the $900,000 raised in 2004, a campaign finance watchdog group reported yesterday.

That trend will continue as more politically minded US expatriates work in foreign financial centers and as campaigns take advantage of online fund-raising, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics said.

Its report said that 60 percent of the money from expatriates this year went to Democrats, and that Barack Obama has reaped the most, with nearly $195,000. Giuliani, a Republican, is second with about $120,000; Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, is third with $51,450; and Mitt Romney, a Republican, is fourth with $43,700.

Among cities, London is the biggest source of campaign cash, with $270,700, more than twice as much as the next biggest source, Geneva.

FOON RHEE

WASHINGTON - A homeland security adviser to Rudy Giuliani came under fire yesterday for asserting there were "too many mosques" in the United States - and defended himself by saying his point was that not enough Muslim leaders cooperate with law enforcement.

Representative Peter King, a New York Republican and the former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said his comments to the Politico website were taken out of context. After King complained, Politico posted a video of the interview.

The congressman was denounced by the Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has long accused King of lobbing unfair attacks against American Muslims. The Democratic Party called on Giuliani to drop King.

Giuliani defended King and said he would not dump him.

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DAVENPORT, Iowa - Four Democratic presidential candidates pledged during an AARP forum last night to spend more on healthcare and bolster retirement programs crucial to politically potent seniors.

They pledged to protect Social Security, revamp Medicare's prescription drug program, and expand home healthcare.

Former senator John Edwards sounded his theme that lobbying by big drug and insurance companies has blocked efforts to expand healthcare coverage, a dig at rival Senator Hillary Clinton, whom he has accused of taking campaign money from those industries.

Clinton did not respond directly but touted her experience on working throughout her career to expand healthcare.

Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico said he'd focus on preventive healthcare and building new efficiencies into the system. Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware said he has demonstrated the ability to stand up to insurance companies.

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