Gingrich would consider Palin for a Cabinet position

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Wednesday said he would consider appointing former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to a Cabinet position within his administration if he were elected president, according to the liberal watchdog Right Wing Watch.

Gingrich was asked during a tele-town hall if he would consider Palin as a running mate.

"She is certainly one of the people you would look at," he responded. "I am a great admirer of hers and she was a remarkable reform governor of Alaska, she’s somebody who I think brings a great deal to the possibility of helping in government and that would be one of the possibilities."

"There are also some very important Cabinet positions that she could fill very, very well. I can’t imagine anybody who would do a better job of driving us to an energy solution than Gov. Palin, for example. Tell her that she would certainly be on the list of one of the people we would consider."

Gingrich previously said he would ask former Bush administration U.N. ambassador John Bolton to be U.S. Secretary of State if he were elected. USA Today and other news outlets said the comment were illegal under U.S. law, which prohibits candidates from “directly or indirectly” promising or pledging the appointment of any person “for the purpose of procuring support in his candidacy.”

But Talking Points Memo reported that Gingrich had in fact not broken the law because he had not made the remark for the purpose of getting Bolton’s endorsement in return.