RUTHFULLY YOURS

Fox News announced yesterday that it was suspending the contracts of two high-profile contributors — former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Both Republicans appear likely to mount presidential campaigns, and it would be a clear conflict of interest for a news network to report on its own employees.

Dianne Brandi, Fox News’ executive vice president of legal and business affairs, told the Los Angeles Times that the cable network made the move after Gingrich aides told Fox executives that the former Speaker is ramping up his exploration of a campaign. Mr. Gingrich is expected to announce a preliminary step toward a formal run on Thursday, and Mr. Santorum has been among the most active of the prospective candidates in building a campaign infrastructure and traveling to early voting states.

But perhaps even more interesting than Fox’s decision to suspend the Gingrich and Santorum contracts was its willingness to allow two other high-profile prospective presidential candidates — former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee — to remain on the network’s payroll. Ms. Brandi told the Times that Fox News would take the same action regarding Mr. Huckabee and Mrs. Palin if either of them were to demonstrate “some serious intention” to form a presidential exploratory committee.

“Huckabee is on a book tour, so I think his present intention is to sell books,” Ms. Brandi said. “[Palin] hasn’t yet shown a serious intention to form an exploratory committee.”

Ms. Brandi’s comments echo a growing consensus among many political observers that neither is likely to mount White House runs. However, both former governors have repeatedly said that they are still mulling potential campaigns. Aides to Mr. Huckabee and Mrs. Palin did not respond to inquiries about whether Fox News had been in touch regarding their contracts and presidential decisions.

Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton is a fifth Fox News contributor who has expressed interest in running for the Republican nomination, but his presidential ambitions have received relatively little media attention.

To read more stories like this one at RealClearPolitics.com.

Copyright 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-843-0008      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit