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Nicole Belle did a nice write up of Newt's appearance on CBS yesterday called Newt Gingrich: I'm Debt-Free and Frugal! No, Really!, but I wanted to add a little more to this saga. Newt Gingrich appeared on Face the Nation and continued to lie about his "right wing social engineering" quote about Paul Ryan's Medicare plan for America. Bob Schieffer pretty much lays out a week in review to Newt about the harsh criticisms that he took from Republicans for his Meet The Press interview last Sunday: Here's the full transcript and you tell me if he's acting like a Liar:
BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): You heard at the top of this broadcast, we kind of laid it out
there. You began your campaign last week on Meet The Press with what I have to say was just
withering criticism of the plan passed by the Republican House to replace Medicare with
government subsidized private insurance and-- and you heard them. You’ve heard them all
week. Republicans from Rush Limbaugh to Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina to Paul
Ryan himself cried foul. Then you backed off and said you made a mistake. But you sounded
pretty certain. And I just want to go back and-- and let’s listen to what you said--NEWT GINGRICH (May 9, 2011): I don’t think right wing social engineering is anymore
desirable than left wing social engineering. I don’t think imposing radical change from the right
or the left is a very good way for a free society to operate.DAVID GREGORY (May 9, 2011): Do you think that Republicans ought to buck the public
opposition and really move forward to completely change Medicare, turn it into a voucher
program where you give seniors--NEWT GINGRICH (overlapping; May 9, 2011): Yeah.
DAVID GREGORY (May 9, 2011): --some premium support and so that they can go out and buy
private insurance?NEWT GINGRICH (May 9, 2011): I don’t think right wing social engineering is anymore
desirable than left wing social engineering. I don’t think imposing radical change from the right
or the left is a very good way for a free society to operateBOB SCHIEFFER: So then, you go on television and you just totally retract that. You said I’ve
made a mistake. Well, you sounded awfully certain when you said it. What happened here?NEWT GINGRICH: Look if-- if you go back and replay what David Gregory asked.
BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, I did.
NEWT GINGRICH: Yeah. No, I’m just saying. If you listen to his words, he doesn’t say how do
you feel about Paul Ryan? I like Paul Ryan. Didn’t even say how do you feel about Ryan’s
budget? I would have voted for Ryan’s budget. He said should Republicans pass an unpopular
plan? And I made the mistake of accepting his premise. I wasn’t referring to Ryan. I was
referring to a general principle. We, the people, should not have Washington impose large-scale
change on us. Paul Ryan has begun a process-- he and I’ve talked about it several times this
week. And we go back many years. Paul Ryan has begun a process. It’s an important process.
This is the third time we’ve seen a Medi-scare campaign by the Democrats against Reagan
and--BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): Well--
NEWT GINGRICH (overlapping): --now just listen-- but--
BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): --go ahead.
NEWT GINGRICH (overlapping): --but-- my context was we Republicans have to go to the
country, we have to explain what we’re trying to accomplish to save Medicare, how we would
save Medicare. The country has to have time, the American people have to have time to ask us
questions, to modify the plan if necessary, to get to a point where people are comfortable with it
and that was my point. I-- I probably used unfortunate language about social engineering. But
my point was really a larger one that neither party should impose on the American people
something that they are deeply opposed to.BOB SCHIEFFER: Well-- well, do you think Republicans ought to run with the Paul Ryan plan? I
mean is it good social--NEWT GINGRICH: --there was not a question as good social engineering. The question is I
believe Republicans should start with the Ryan plan, should go to the country and explain it. But
should listen to the American people and where necessary modify it. I think this is what Paul
Ryan believes. It’s not going to be a-- a yes or no. This is the-- and this is what’s sad about
what’s happening. This is the beginning of a profound conversation about a fiscal crisis that is
going to crush this country.
Only in Republican bizarre-o-land could a Conservative like Newt try to get away with distorting his own well thought out response to a David Gregory interview. He's clearly talking about Paul Ryan, but the litmus test for Republicans is just too strong for him. I have to admit it's kind of fun watching him squirm like this. It couldn't happen to a bigger hypocrite.
