There is a body of opinion that believes Newt Gingrich isn't really running for president; he is only concerned about boosting the fees he can charge for speaking and promote his other causes.

This may be true, but if it is, Gingrich is doing a good imitation of a serious candidate. According to ABC News, he will announce the formation of an exploratory committee on Thursday in Atlanta:

Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler would only say that the former speaker will make an announcement by the end of the week on forming a presidential exploratory committee. But friends of Gingrich say he has already made up his mind. Gingrich's travel schedule is already looking like that of a presidential candidate. He will be in Iowa on Mar. 7 and ABC News has learned he will in New Hampshire Mar. 17.

Gingrich's advisors say his campaign will have a "major presence" in Georgia, which Gingrich represented in Congress for 19 years, though they have not decided yet where his campaign headquarters will be. Gingrich has lived in northern Virginia for years.

He has been preparing and talking openly about a possible run for months.

"2010 was the appetizer. 2012 is the entrée," Gingrich told an enthusiastic crowd at CPAC earlier this month. He will instantly be a force. He's tireless, full of ideas and one of the most well-known Republicans in the country. Nearly two decades ago, Gingrich led the last Republican revolution, drafting the "Contract with America" that swept House Republicans into power in 1994.