Speaker Cantor? Gingrich Thinks So.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in an interview with Richmond-area media yesterday, projected that Virginia's Eric Cantor, a rising star in the GOP, would one day take his old job: "You've got the Congressman right here in Virginia, who is the number two Republican in the House Eric Cantor who I think is going to become Speaker of the House and I think is a great great leader," Gingrich said. In the same interview, Gingrich said he would "look seriously" at the possibility of running for President in 2012, after initially saying he was not considering a bid.

Cantor has taken a prominent role in the House GOP, not only as minority whip, but as the leader of Republicans' economic task force charged with offering a counter-proposal to President Obama's stimulus package. In doing so, he became a voice for conservative economic policy. For Cantor to become Speaker, though, the GOP will have to regain the majority in the House--a different issue altogether from his own rising stardom.