Gingrich predicts GOP takeover of House

Stumping for Republican candidates in Harrisburg, the former House speaker visits Harrisburg. He’s still weighing a run for president in 2012.

Campaigning in Harrisburg Tuesday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich predicted Republicans will flip control of the House of Representatives next week.

The architect of the Republicans’ 1994 triumph said the GOP will win 55 House seats next week, though he said he doesn’t know enough about Pennsylvania to predict how many of the Commonwealth’s Democrat-controlled seats will change hands.

Gingrich said if the Republicans take control of the House, they should refuse to fund President Barack Obama’s programs and priorities.

“I think you say, ‘We’re not going to pay for that stuff.’ Make it Obama’s problem to go to the country and say, ‘I’d like to have a bigger deficit to borrow more money to spend more government money implementing programs you hate,’ ” said Gingrich.

Gingrich is also calling for a repeal of the new federal health-care law, though overturning Obama’s signature measure won’t move past rhetoric, as long as Democrats retain control of the White House and Senate.

The Harrisburg native was one of several high-profile politicians descending on Pennsylvania in the days before the election.

President Bill Clinton was stumping with Congressman Paul Kanjorski and Obama will make another visit to Philadelphia this weekend.