Newt's coming to Washington! Newt's coming to Washington!

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is planning to make several campaign stops in Washington state on Thursday and Friday, signaling that he will join the other three major Republican presidential candidates in making a serious bid for support at the state's March 3 caucuses.

Washington Republican Chairman Kirby Wilbur and Joe Fuiten, a Bothel minister who is a top Gingrich volunteer in the state, both said they were told by the Gingrich campaign that the former House speaker will campaign in Eastern Washington on Thursday and in the Puget Sound area on Friday.

That means Mitt Romney is the only major candidate to not make an appearance in Washington. (Read about Santorum's visit here, and Ron Paul's visit here.) He's sent his son Josh on a tour of the state as a surrogate, but everyone knows that's bullshit; they didn't even send Tagg or—swoon!—Craig! Come on, Willard! Washington is waiting for you. A single appearance goes a long way, and it looks like you could use the bump in the polls.