Gingrich asks for small donations to sustain GOP bid

NEW ORLEANS – Newt Gingrich is asking supporters for donations as small as $2.50 to keep his GOP presidential campaign going.

The former House speaker told a New Orleans audience Friday that he can't raise as much money as front-runner Mitt Romney can. But he said he is gaining 500 to 1,000 new donors a day. He said many of them give small but that he welcomes amounts that might lead to larger contributions later.

Gingrich is asking for donations in multiples of $2.50. That's the amount he claims a gallon of gasoline will cost if he becomes president.

Gingrich promises to promote Louisiana's energy, tourism and seafood industries. He says he and his wife, Callista, lunched on crabmeat at Galatoire's restaurant in New Orleans.

The Louisiana primary is March 24.