Gingrich says he's run 'populist campaign'

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WASHINGTON, March 5 (UPI) -- Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich said Monday he's run a "populist campaign" and Mitt Romney is the "establishment candidate."

The former U.S. House speaker's comments came in an interview on CNN when he was asked about House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., backing Romney.

"The fact is [former Massachusetts Gov.] Romney is the Washington establishment candidate," Gingrich said. "It's true, if you look at where does his money come from, where are most of the lobbyists lined up. So I think he goes around the country and he's legitimately collected most of the insiders."

Cantor, Gingrich said, "is sort of quintessentially a part of that same group."

Speaking of his own bid for the GOP nomination, Gingrich said: "I think that I have run a populist campaign. We have about 173,000 donors, 95 percent of them less than $250.

"I have run a campaign that is focused on things like getting gasoline prices down to $2.50 or less a gallon, creating an American energy plan so that no future president would ever bow to a Saudi king, and I think that I represent very, very dramatic change for Washington."

Candidates will be competing in Georgia and nine other states with 419 total delegates at stake on Super Tuesday.