Two new polls reveal that the candidacy of Newt Gingrich is being propelled by a substantial increase in support for him from the tea party movement. A new Fox News poll released last night shows that his support among tea party members has more than doubled over the past 30 days, from 17 percent to 35 percent. The Fox poll shows Gingrich now holding a one point lead over fellow Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

A second poll, conducted by CNN and released on Monday, shows a similar increase in support for Gingrich, with 22 percent of likely Republican voters supporting Gingrich, which places him within one point of Romney, who, CNN found, continues to lead Republican candidates, with 24 percent.

The good polling news for Gingrich, however, is potentially offset by a news report, released yesterday by Bloomberg that Gingrich pocketed between $1.6 million and $1.8 million in consulting contracts with the controversial mortgage broker and guarantor Freddie Mac, which many conservatives contend was largely responsible for the 2007 national mortgage crisis and the associated recessionary economic climate.

Gingrich responded to the report by saying that he conducted no lobbying on behalf on Freddie Mac, that he was compensated exclusively for consulting-related services and that Freddie Mac rejected concerns he raised with them about the company's possible contribution to an inflationary housing bubble.

Freddie Mac officials, however, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Bloomberg that Gingrich never raised any such policy concerns with the company.