Is there any more dangerous position in politics than being the surging frontrunner in the Republican presidential race? Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Herman Cain have all been in that seat, and all have fallen out. Now, it’s Newt Gingrich’s turn, and the former House speaker, for all his new popularity, is in an extremely perilous place.

Here’s the problem. There are new reports coming out every day about Gingrich’s efforts on behalf of Freddie Mac, the prescription drug entitlement, and other big-government initiatives. Gingrich denies that any of it involved lobbying, but the news will likely not sit well with limited-government conservatives. At least for now, though, it’s not clear what the ultimate effect will be because it takes time for stories to sink in with the voters who will decide Gingrich’s future.