Tim Carney digs deeper into Newt's financial past and his role in passing Medicare Part D. Bottom line:
[W]hen Gingrich retired in the middle of his term in 1999 and got huge contracts, he was being paid to promote the opposite of "free enterprise": subsidies, entitlements, and central planning. Republicans won't rally behind another politician who confuses "free enterprise" with getting rich.
Weigel explains why Gingrich's actions aren't defined as lobbying:
It's true to say that Gingrich never "lobbied" for the [Medicare Part D] bill. Lobbying is a distinctive career; you have to register to conduct it. Gingrich merely used his status as a conservative icon, with close ties to many House members and a well of respect with others, to advocate for policies. He was, at the same time, collecting money from the GSEs and the health care industry …
Along the same lines, Lee Fang has a short history of Gingrich's engagements as a Washington "historian." TNR piles on. Earlier coverage of Gingrich's earnings here.
The Dish 