The ONE ethics scandal (that I'm aware of anyway) was hardly a scandal, more trumped-up bullshit than anything else.
As far as Newt's personal baggage is concerned, that's been a well-trodden road for awhile now. Sure there's some segment of the population that may not know about it, but think about it: how will Newt's personal problem's compare to Obama's complete lack of leadership and hatred for All Things America?
This country is desperate for someone who can solve problems and go after the bigger issues. Currently, Newt's becoming that guy. I also think Herman Cain has that capability to some smaller degree.
Newt's flip-flops on "global warming" for example are concerning to me. The vivid images of him sitting on a sofa with Princess Pelosi are still in the front of my mind, and I think he was dead-wrong on that issue.
Still, seeing Gingrich literally shred Obama to bits in the debates would be worth him getting the nomination. (No teleprompter made can save Obama from the complete whipping he'd get from Gingrich.)
The first time I saw that ad, I took it this way: Newt is DEFITITELY running for president. He needs to do something to begin to counter his negatives with independents (who, ironically, see him as the poster-boy for hardcore inflexible conservatives), but he will NEVER live this one down with the base. At the time, I was thinking Palinites, but obviously the majority of them have moved on to Cain.