Ted Kennedy still carries some weight, even in the Republican Party.

Our partners at Bluefin Labs report that Newt Gingrich's jab at Mitt Romney over his loss in the Senate race to Kennedy 17 years ago produced 2,700 messages on Twitter.

"Let's be candid," Gingrich said at the ABC News debate in Iowa. "The only reason you didn't become a career politician is because you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994."