Newt Gingrich Gets the Backing of Senate Hopeful Craig Miller

Restaurant executive Craig Miller, who is running in a crowded Republican primary field looking to challenge incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, announced on Thursday morning that he is backing Newt Gingrich for president.

Newt Gingrich is a proven leader who has done more than talk about his vision for America, he has literally lived it, Miller said in a statement. Today, our country faces a mountain of debt with no end in sight; our nation has become a people of dependency that continues to get worse; our government chooses a path of dependency on foreign oil, and foreign debt, while young people struggle just getting their first job. Newt Gingrich proved to me in the '90s, while I was working to build a new business, that he had the ideas and leadership ability to drive America forward. He was a warrior in the Reagan Revolution and applied those concepts as one of the most successful speakers of the House in our nations history. Newt is a visionary whose 'Contract with America' provided the blueprint for cutting taxes, balancing the budget, reforming welfare, and strengthening our national defense. Our country has not just stood still, it has gone backward, and these times require bold ideas and, importantly, the ability to rally the American people behind a new direction. He is the experienced, strong leader we need for these exceptional times.

Miller ended his endorsement with a shot at two Democrats currently holding office.

While President Obama and Senator Nelson seem determined to take us down a path of bailouts, raised debt ceilings and more government dependence, Newt, based on what he achieved in the U.S. Congress, stands out as the candidate that can best restore American exceptionalism, Miller said.