Boehner: Gingrich less conservative than people think

House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday that his former colleague Newt Gingrich may not be "as conservative as people think he is."

"It'd be hard to describe Newt as 'not conservative,'" Boehner said. "I'm not sure he's as conservative as some people think he is, but Newt is conservative."

As Gingrich has risen in the polls, his rivals have started to question and attack the former House speaker's conservative credentials. Just today, Mitt Romney released an ad that asks, "with friends like Newt, who needs The Left?"

In the same conversation with Politico's Mike Allen, Boehner strongly denied any participation in efforts to overthrow Newt Gingrich as speaker of the House in the 1990s.

The current speaker acknowledged he received some of the blame then, calling it a "very difficult time," but insisted he had "no idea" of the efforts.

"I never participated in any attempt to overthrow the speaker. Not once," Boehner said Wednesday. "Interesting how this just became fact a long time ago."

He called the two "good friends" and though Boehner has been otherwise reluctant to get involved in 2012 Republican politics, he said he did recently give Gingrich advice that he said the candidate has taken.

"I'd have a hard time finding someone more intelligent, smarter than Newt Gingrich," Boehner said. "Like all big thinkers, they have some great ideas, and then they have some other ideas."

Far from making any endorsements, Boehner reiterated Wednesday he would support whoever the Republican presidential nominee is.

The speaker was less diplomatic about President Obama's 2012 campaign outlook. Characterizing the state of the economy as a referendum on his presidency, Boehner said the president is "going to have a very difficult time getting re-elected."

He added that he didn't think Mr. Obama could win his home state of Ohio.

Boehner's remarks were made in a "Playbook Breakfast" interview with Politico's Mike Allen on Wednesday.