Without medical records that he hasn't released, we can't know whether Gingrich may have inherited his mother's manic depression. Nevertheless, one observes in the former House Speaker certain symptoms - bouts of grandiosity, megalomania, irritability, racing thoughts, spending sprees - that go beyond the ordinary politician's normal narcissism.

There are no ideas in the Republican Party right now in the Congress. They're the party of no. They desperately need some intellectual leadership. And whatever you think of Newt Gingrich, he can supply intellectual leadership. So I hope he does run.

Newt Gingrich has a restless and outsized intelligence that is tragically unleavened by any kind of critical sensibility.

But like a born actor who only really wants to direct Gingrich has always been unsatisfied with what he's brilliant at. He can't still his hunger to deliver grand pronouncements on life liberalism conservatism religion and whatever else swims into his consciousness.

Newt Gingrich has a restless and outsized intelligence that is tragically unleavened by any kind of critical sensibility.

There are no ideas in the Republican Party right now in the Congress. They're the party of no. They desperately need some intellectual leadership. And whatever you think of Newt Gingrich he can supply intellectual leadership. So I hope he does run.

What would be the nicest thing I could say about Newt Gingrich? He may be one of the great supporters of the humanities because you have people who don't want to study the social sciences because it's not profitable and now Newt as the highest-paid historian in American history may be an encouragement to people to study history.

I think Gingrich has embarrassed the party over time. Whether he'll do it again in the future I don't know. But Gov. Romney never has.