Gingrich and Pawlenty insist they have no plans to drop their 2012 bids

Tim Pawlenty and Newt Gingrich may be struggling in most 2012 polls, but in separate interviews, both GOP hopefuls insisted they have zero plans to drop out of the presidential race.

In an email to The Daily Beast's Lloyd Grove, the former House Speaker insisted he's still aiming to win the Republican presidential nomination, in spite of the fact his campaign has been hobbled by staff defections and fundraising troubles.

"I ran 5 years to win my seat," Gingrich told Grove. "I worked for 16 years to create a majority in the house. I worked for 42 years to create a Georgia GOP majority. My dad served 27 years in the infantry. One of my closest friends served eight years in a Vietnam prison camp. Quitting isn't an option."

Meanwhile, Pawlenty told CNN's Candy Crowley in an interview set to air Sunday that any suggestion he's on the verge of dropping his 2012 bid is "preposterous." He insisted next month's Iowa straw poll is not a do-or-die situation for his campaign.

"I suppose if we came in dead last or something in the straw poll that may have a bearing. But we're not going to do that. We're already showing good progress," Pawlenty said. "You know, obviously Mitt Romney, he's been the front-runner, the established front-runner. We acknowledge that. But he was the front-runner last time. And there's plenty of time and plenty of room for others to catch him and we will."