CAMPAIGN 2012

Graham: Gingrich is 'Maturing'

Updated: January 22, 2012 | 1:27 p.m.
January 22, 2012 | 11:44 a.m.

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that while he would not endorse any of the presidential candidates yet, he was pleased that Newt Gingrich had changed for the better since his days as House Speaker.

"Newt's putting on the table real solutions in a way today that he wouldn't have done in 1994. That kind of maturing and thought, I think, is going to help the party and help him," he said on CBS' Face The Nation, citing Gingrich's views on immigration.

Gingrich favors amnesty for immigrants who have been in the country for an extended period and have not committed any crimes.

Graham said that Gingrich's first-place showing in South Carolina was "Newt winning more than anybody else losing." Even though Romney came in second, Graham said, he has the managerial skills needed for the White House and is still a viable candidate.

But he added that Gingrich is a great debater, and in winning the debates, he convinced voters that he could beat President Obama—a key issue for conservatives.

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