IMO, it’s not that Newt has somehow turned his back on conservatism, it’s a combination of going native within the Beltway plus presidential aspirations. He wants to be the 2012 presidential candidate, and he’s less interested in convincing people on issues than he is in counting votes and making sure he can get enough votes from groups A, B, C, and D to win.
You may be right, but Newt is an even bigger moron than I thought if he thinks he has ANY chance at the presidency. The press would litterally shred him over his affair back in the mid-90s.