Newton Leroy “Newt” Gingrich is the former Speaker of the House of Representatives. He helped craft the 1994 Contract with America, a set of bulleted points that propelled the GOP to a majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years.

Gingrich was called a “bomb thrower” because his politics were so ruthless and his attacks on President Bill Clinton (he wanted to impeach Clinton and almost succeeded) and the Democrats so fierce. He even opposed a debt ceiling increase that shut down the federal government.

Gingrich’s abrasive style eventually saw him losing control of the House and he resigned from his position as Speaker under threat of mutiny. He was all but written off as a contender for 2012, but miraculously recovered after good performances in debates.

Gingrich’s personal life (three divorces and two affairs) and his lobbying for the health care industry and Fannie Mae, the troubled home mortgage guarantor, may still give him trouble in the home stretch of the race for nomination.

Gingrich had risen to top of the field with 25 percent in the latest Des Moines Register poll. He is now also seen as a real threat to Mitt Romney and a potentially powerful contender against President Barack Obama.