Gingrich Defends Idea of Moon Colony

(The Wall Street Journal) - While Mitt Romney's and Rick Santorum's thoughts were on the Midwest and Colorado Tuesday evening, Newt Gingrich suggested his head was in the clouds.

Speaking in the home state of Orville and Wilbur Wright, Gingrich defended his support for expanding US space exploration and a speech he gave in Florida in which he promised a US moon colony by the end of his second term.

Earlier in the day, he made an impromptu visit to Orville Wright's home in Dayton.

"Immediately two of my opponents rushed into to say that's really stupid," he said of the space speech, before arguing his plans would promote science and technology development on Earth.

Big thinking has been a staple of Gingrich's political career. It makes his supporters swoon but occasionally makes his opponents chuckle.

But he also still exhibits a boyish wonder about leaving the Earth's surface, a fact on display when he visited the Wright home.

"There was nice stuff," Gingrich said afterwards.

"I'm glad we did that. Add it to our list of historic places," his wife, Callista, responded.

"A little bit of excitement," Gingrich said.

Read more: The Wall Street Journal