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GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich at a Monitor breakfast on Monday said the rocky start to his race won鈥檛 put him on the sidelines.

鈥淚 want to reassure you in the tradition of Mark Twain that the reports of my campaign鈥檚 death are highly exaggerated,鈥� said the former House speaker.

Mr. Gingrich said that in his recent travels through the early-caucus state of Iowa he attracted large and enthusiastic crowds, most of whom apparently did not care that he had told David Gregory of 鈥�Meet the Press鈥� that the voucher-like Medicare plan proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin was 鈥渞ight-wing social engineering.鈥�

Gingrich came into the breakfast meeting with a 鈥淣ewt 2012鈥� handout outlining key policy positions for his campaign and ticked off a number of them as he framed himself as the candidate of specific ideas with a good chance to beat the GOP鈥檚 real adversary, Barack Obama.

鈥淚 have the ability to articulate large differences with President Obama and win the debates in 2012,鈥� he said.

For instance, Gingrich said he favors a 鈥淩eagan-like鈥� economic policy that includes a freeze in the current tax code so Bush-era tax cuts stay in place, an end to the capital gains tax, and an abolishment of the estate tax.

But the glitches that marked Gingrich鈥檚 recent appearances followed him in the form of continued questioning about what he really meant when he criticized Representative Ryan's plan, why his wife had at one point a $500,000 revolving charge fund at Tiffany鈥檚, and whether his multiple marriages would be off-limits for questioning in coming months.

As to Medicare, Gingrich said his description of Ryan鈥檚 plan was a 鈥渨rong use of words.鈥�

What he meant to say was that Americans should not be forced to accept any major change they do not support in the nation鈥檚 large social programs.

Politicians need to have a 鈥渃onversation鈥� with voters about Medicare鈥檚 financial problems, and how Democrats are not addressing it, said Gingrich.

鈥淵ou have to win the argument that the Democrats are being fundamentally irresponsible and dishonest,鈥� said Gingrich.

(Gingrich used the word 鈥渃onversation鈥� throughout the breakfast, which perhaps befits someone whose greatest political assets include volubility.)

As to his wife鈥檚 apparent large purchases of jewelry, Gingrich said he was 鈥渕ystified鈥� as to why this was a story. He has done well in the private sector, he said, hiring people and creating jobs, and the expense in question was in essence a no-interest charge that he paid off in full and on time. In a neat back flip, he attempted to turn the question to an answer about the state of America鈥檚 finances.

鈥淚f Obama followed our example, we鈥檇 be running a surplus and buying back debt from China,鈥� said Gingrich.

As to his personal history, which includes multiple marriages and reports of infidelity, he said, 鈥淚鈥檝e been very clear that I鈥檝e made mistakes ... I ask [voters] to look at who I am today.鈥�

Gingrich added that he has cast so many votes, conducted so many interviews, and written so many articles and books (24, by his count) that he will no longer answer 鈥済otcha鈥� questions based on something he said or wrote in the past.

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to try to remember what paragraph seven of book 16 said,鈥� he said.