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Subscribe to RSSAt Thursday's debate Newt Gingrich slammed the news media for focusing on accusations by his ex-wife that he requested an "open marriage." NBC's Peter Alexander reports.
Newt Gingrich opened a pivotal Republican presidential debate with a fiery attack on the media for publishing stories regarding new allegations made against him by an ex-wife.
Gingrich assailed, in no uncertain terms, CNN moderator John King for opening the debate by asking Gingrich to answer allegations made by his ex-wife, Marianne, in an interview with ABC News, saying the then-speaker of the House asked to engage in an "open marriage," or else he would file for divorce.
"I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate with a topic like that," Gingrich said, earning wild applause from the audience. "To take an ex-wife and make it two days before the primary a significant question in a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything I can imagine."
Gingrich disputed the allegations as "false," and his three fellow Republicans onstage resisted piling on. ("Let's get on to the real issues," former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said.)
It was a spirited opening to a debate that capped one of the most politically tumultuous days of the 2012 cycle.
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must be a real bummer when the tactics you condoned and participated in come back to bite you. it is tough to look past the immoral sin of adultery once but a repeat performance after you rail against everyone else's moral short comings for decades makes him a HYPOCRITE of an unparalleled degree. therefore his moral character is what is in question here and that directly affects his ability to govern. as a fellow catholic i am astonished that any american with any religious morals would want our first lady to be a common harlot and our president to be a repeat whoremonger. not hating just saying ... i am truly blown away that so many christians would just throw away their christian values and put this parriah in office just to defeat Obama. this action says more about their value than his.
Lets see here "TROLL" Your just a tad confused about your "Religion" and HYPOCRISY. Your leaders in the Catholic church certainly have been less than Morally Practiced. The do as I say not as I do has been prolific in that Evangelical Cult! There is no "Human" who is without sin according to that God Belief you so use to Judge! The "Truly Blown Away" statement of yours states volumes about your lack of self esteem and the closet that hides your Skeletons. Never have met a "Holier than Now" ranter that didn't have a plethora of issue's! Get Help!
The divorce rate in America is greater than 50%. Why are any of us surprised a candidate has been married more than once? This cannot be a matter which makes or breaks a nominee. Has everyone forgotten about all the "ladies" Bill Clinton messed around with while he was the governor of Arkansas? Happily, their names escape me...
mofo, what you are hiding your head in the sand about is the blatant hypocricy of Newt. He was very loudly vilifying Clinton for adultery and lies AT THE SAME TIME that he was also committing adultery and lying about it.
The fact that he has been married three times is no big deal; the fact that he is a liar and hypocrite is central to his fitness to be the next president of the US.
You bring up Bill Clinton fooling around while he was governor of Arkansas, but how long ago was that? Is that really the best you can come up with? Pretty weak!
Newt was on the "Tar and Feather" committee to condemn President Clinton. Remember? He shouldn't be so quick to defend himself for his marital infidelities yet be so quick to condemn others. That makes him hypocritical. It also makes YOU hypocritical when you condemn Democrats for that behavior yet excuse it for your own party.
Great post, Troll. That's the point...it's not so much that he cheated on his wife as it is that he was railing against others who did and made himself holier than thou attacking Clinton while chasing Helmet Head's skirt at the same time.
I'm sure most people would have written it off as a "private matter", had he not been so eager to skewer Clinton. The other thing you have to believe if you are a Republican..."what Clinton did as a college student at Oxford was a matter of national security; what we do is none of anyone's business"
I guess Calista sports that helmet hair to hide her lobotomy scar. Have you noticed the woman looks like she's on some sort of medication? Very glassy eyed, sort of a cold reptilian stare. She's a cold fish...brrrr.
I remember how conservative Christians trumpeted "Character matters" when you would challenge their railing against Clinton for smoking pot but were OK with Bush for being a cocaine user.
Sin is sin, regardless of WHO is doing the sinning, but the conservatives seem to think their sins are more forgiven than those of Democrats.
If conservatives are SO "Christian", why would they work so hard to make sure Obama failed by holding the livelihood of millions hostage to make sure he doesn't get re-elected. Why would "Christians" allow as many people to live in poverty or be unable to get or afford health insurance?
Oh, and despite all his gay bashing, he has an openly lesbian sister named Candace. Even though I have no gay siblings, if I did, I would love and accept them for who they are. I fight for gay rights, because it is an EQUALITY issue. EQUALITY isn't something conservatives want, because then they wouldn't be so precious in their own eyes if everyone else enjoyed the same rights and access as they did.
Just what this country needs is this idiot. If he is elected, god help us all.
Newt is a liar
Newt is the best possible candidate, pure and simple, even though he's anything BUT pure and simple. EVERYBODY is a liar, at times. Al though I don't like his personal life, he WIL defend our country, he WILL do something about our economy, which, thanks to Obama, is heading towards the cliff, and, yes, he WILL appoint judges who will actually follow the constitution. The ones Obama likes (and ALL the Dems, it seems) want to rewrite the constitution to fit their own persoanl, self centered world view.
If newt gets elected, guess what? God DID help us!
Randy, This Randy says that you are an idiot if you cannot see what a lying jerk this guy is....
Newt is right , open marraiges are great! now lets get down!
Vote for open marraiges!
The Grinch is appalled that someone would ask about HIS appalling actions... I believe it was a fair question, which speaks to a candidates character.
I'm sure the Grinch will get a huge amount of womens' votes.... NOT!!
As far as despicable, Ol' Newt is an EXPERT on that subject, from his treatment of women to his 84 ethics violations, to his BROKEN PROMISE to NEVER run for public office again.
In the unlikely event that this idiot eventually wins the election, I guess we will have to address him and his wife as "The adulterer in chief" and "the first tramp."
Newt Gingrich would be a magcal gift to the Democrats!!
I don't remember Bill Clinton having problems running the government after having sex with Monica.
So I think it's irrelevant. Investigate Obama for his missteps in life and he would be impeached. I don't remember Obama having problems and he is recovering drug addict.
You don't appear to be able to remember much, james.
Impeachment is the beginning of the process, you need to get a CONVICTION in the SENATE for it to not be a waste of time and money. Nicotine is not an illegal drug.
Monica had sex with Bill. She put her mouth on his genitals. He did not have sex with her. The cigar did.
His "problems" led to the passage of GRAMM(R)-LEACH(R)-BLILEY(R)....... 92-8 in the Senate, which he had no hope of vetoing. We all, 99% of us anyway, suffered the economic IMPLOSION because of it.
So Newt won Carolina, This doesn't look that good for Romney. Someone said this is the 'B' team. Okay, BO isn't much but the lack of a 'A' team or even a 'A' player is a little disturbing. I think the problem is that most people don't know much about government, people or even sex and this is proven by the present players. God Help my country.
"Nutty Newt" is off his very powerful medications. Again! His many doctors are looking for him. Again! "Nutty Newt" has a serious issue with temper, and he is in constant regret about his poor past personal choices. That is fact!
Gee Newt. Those types of questions were good enough for President Clinton, remember? Or did you conveniently forget the fuss you made about that.
South Carolina Christians only care about a lack of moral fiber and family values when it's convenient to do so. If this was a black man or a Democrat, they would be throwing a southern fit over it. Hypocritical, yes?
I could care less about Newt's personal life.
It is to bad that Newt turned to populist anti-capitalist rhetoric in order to try and appeal to social conservatives that may be wary of "walls street types". Newt and the super PACs that support him have confused the issue over what is good and bad capitalism. They have made some normal market operations always bad capitalism, even if they are a product of free market activities.