newt is on as one of their advisors. >> right, and newt didn't disappear. let me recall one other person from history that was sort of interesting in his relationship with television and that's ronald reagan. ronald reagan, a salesman for general electric, who then took his story on the road politically. they already knew him from television. they liked him. he had been in their living room. forget the movie stuff. he had been in their living room and then took it on the road. chris: this voice we're getting on television of anger, i just wondered. nixon seems to come to mind when i think about gingrich. he's not actually a conservative. he's like knicks op, an opportunist -- nixon, an opportunist. he's fundamentally p app pall. >> but he's also a professor. what newt has enjoyed is the ideas part of politics, thinking up crazy ideas, bouncing them off reporters. most of us have talked about ideas with him. i think he's now moving harder right in this more congenial, maybe television-shaped package. but his ideas are moving right to me. his ideas on foreign

nailing newt. newt gingrich is finding out what it means to be the front-runner. he's under siege. romney is for changing positions and religions. now, a pastor is calling newt the kim kardashian of the gop and attacking his serial marriages and conversion to catholicism. they are going ballistic. republican voters are falling for newt. he can counter punch. the supporters are betting he can survive the onslaught. are they right? there aren't many house republicans that endorse newt gingrich. we'll talk about his chances of winning iowa. jack kingston joins us tonight. jumping trump. huntsman, paul, romney, perry and bachmann all passed. only gingrich and santorum are in. did they lose a ring master? the defense against republican charges proves if you underestimate this president, do so at your peril. let me finish with a line that may be a guide to gingrich. we start with newt gingrich under siege. can he be stopped? chuck todd and john harris. we have the heavy hitters. her's the question. nationwide, gingrich is at 36, way ahead of where romney has been nationally. romney below

why not take on newt?ies and there is that element of personal and we talked about he not only goes against what -- he not only promotes you but goes against you, i was think being how he framed his disagreement with the ryan budget. he called it social engineering. he gets to viscerally personal. that's what's concerning us all. not only as a candidate but as a president. >> so rick perry yesterday does the marriage hit. >> yeah. >> very directly. and then is now doing some paid advertising. look, he's all in. he's got the money, nothing to lose. >> yeah. >> and it is showing some progre progress. if you're romney you do want perry to get these numbers. >> yeah. we'll have to see if this works for him. he's still the post oops hangover. this is the era he's living in. >> actually think he's done a pretty good job since the oops. >> i think he has done a pretty good job but i think it still lingers in a lot of these voters' minds. they want somebody on stage in november who can go head-to-head against bara

that's why people who don't know newt, conservatives who don't know newt like newt. >> well, maybe thatxplains some of the polls we're seeing. the gingrich campaign is ramping up its efforts right now in iowa as new polling there shows the former house speaker with a sizable lead in the early caucus state with less than a month to go if you can believe it before voting there. >> holy cow. >> can you believe it? it's common. >> are you serious? >> we're going to be there. abc news and "the washington post" poll shows gingrich with 33% support of likely republican caucus goers. that's 15 points ahead of mitt romney and ron paul who were tied for second. >> my gosh. >> the obama re-election team -- >> let's just soak these numbers in. by the way, we're talking the michele bachmann later. harold ford, 33%. timing is everything. >> meteoric rise here at the end. i think you all have touched on these points. you've touched on these points over the last few days and your op-ed does as well. he has -- he's been around so long that a lot of the negatives on him are out there. the narrative is es

went through newt gingrich with a fine tooth comb they didn't find anything let's remember newt gingrich balanced the budget under bill clinton who wanted to spend about as badly as barack obama wanted to spend they reformed welfare. he's got a whole bunch of good credits and the myth that newt gingrich shut the government down no sorry about that it was bill clinton that shut the government down we're going back to the same battleaxe remember when it happened steve do you want to get in there because there's also the freddie mac. money that gingrich got one point six million dollars i mean again all the way up to the he did he only made it to it when he was confronted with it i mean again he's the consummate insider how can this be something new how can he spin himself as something new. well you know the judge has got a difficult job there and i don't envy it all i mean there's gingrich always has an excuse for something he did you know he didn't do anything wrong you know they dismissed eighty four out of eighty five charges well you know judson's an attorney he knows better than that

leading off tonight, nailing newt. newt gingrich is finding out what it means to be the front-runner. newt's under siege from rivals like mitt romney and rick perry. perry's hitting him for his three marriages, believe it or not, and romney's hitting him for changing positions, and religions. and now a conservative pastor out in iowa who's backing santorum is running a video calling newt the kim kardashian of the gop, and also attacking his serial marriages and his conversion to catholicism. with two debates in the next seven days, the attacks against gingrich are going ballistic. but republican voters are falling for newt, because they see him as a gladiator. he can counterpunch, and his supporters are betting he can survive the onslaught. are they right? >>> then, there aren't that many house republicans who endorse newt gingrich, but we'll talk to one of them about his chances -- newt's chances of winning iowa. georgia congressman jack kingston. he joins us tonight. >>> and dumping trump. that debate donald trump wa

no, not newt gingrich. we've got elizabeth warren. >> let's go to newt versus romney. >> yeah. >> romney unloaded today. >> mitt romney has no time to lose. they are turning the fire hose on newt. >> in florida, gingrich also beat romney by 23 points. >> a lot of the tea party people are for mitt romney. >> gingrich has made the calculations so far that romney is still having a difficult time with tea party supporters. >> newt gingrich over obama in ohio in a head to head match up, 43-42. that is a heart attack. >> that is mind bending. >> conservatives like mitt romney. >> gingrich on top in iowa with 33% support among likely caucus goers. >> gingrich is not the only front-runner, easy roaded romney's ee electric ta built. >> this is clearly a statement from the american people and has less to do with newt gingrich than it does with the state of american politics. >> newt gingrich has an argument against obama that is entirely based on hatred. >> i have one opponent, barack obama, and that's how my campaig

this was newt gingrich. he had this to say about the president in an interview with "national review" laugh year. when is obama is so outside our comprehension that only if you understand kenyan, anti-colonial behavior can you begin to piece together his actions. that is the most accurate predictive model for his behavior. this is a person who is fundamentally out of touch with how the world works works happened to have played a wonderful con, as a result of which he is now president. now, the president as we know, whatever we think of his politics, left, right or center, was not raised by his kenyan father. he never met him until he was an adult. what is this anti-colonial kenyan behavior that he ascribes to our president? >> i think what he's referring to is the fact that the president has been very much a president that has moved around the world apologizing for the united states. >> yeah. >> and he -- he believes at the bottom of that that we have acted too much like the british empire and that we ought

newt's down at fifth.lso as his popularity starts to go up, i think he should be prepare for a firestorm of late-nights when the jokes are all on newt. but just over 19% right now late-night mentions go to mittster, romney. that's tonight's big number. and i bet it changes very soon. >>> up next, why do so many republicans who came to power under newt gingrich in '94 have a problem with him now? why is newt disliked by so many of his former colleagues? that's ahead. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc. hey... there's mom! hey, let mom try. ready, go! ♪ yeah, rock on, mom! [ male announcer ] sometimes a hint is all the wrapping a gift needs. wait a minute...i... [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] the lexus december to remember sales event is here, but only for a limited time. see your lexus dealer for exclusive lease offers on the 2012 rx 350 and, as a gift from lexus, we'll make your first month's payment. at bank of america, we're lending and investing in communities across the country, from helping to r

newt's down at fifth. but also as his popularity starts to go up, i think he should be prepare for a firestorm of late-nights when the jokes are all on newt. but just over 19% right now late-night mentions go to mittster, romney. that's tonight's big number. and i bet it changes very soon. >>> up next, why do so many republicans who came to power under newt gingrich in '94 have a problem with him now? why is newt disliked by so many of his former colleagues? that's ahead. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc. >>> welcome back to "hardball." newt gingrich is basking in his recent surge as the front-runner status, but if you ask the people who know and have worked with him in congress, the former speaker of the house is far from a favorite to win the nomination. the man who masterminded the historic republican revolution back in 1999, 1994, rather, picking up 54 seats in the house of representatives, led the republicans in an erratic and often undisciplined fashion, according to congressional republican

newt's the wizard of oz. you think newt -- there's nothing there.he man behind the curtain. anyway, now him, we'll really miss. but to be fair to the wizard of oz, all those characters did have something redeeming in them, the movie characters. >>> up and next, newt gingrich's rising at just the time. he's leading in iowa and closing the gap seriously in new hampshire. can newt keep up with mitt romney and take the fight all the way to the republican convention? you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. ♪ [ male announcer ] you never know when a moment might turn into something more. and when it does men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. cialis for daily use is a clinically proven low-dose tablet you take every day, so you can be ready anytime the moment's right. ♪ [ man ] tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain as this may cause an unsafe d

newt would undercut people around him. newt was not reliable. newt couldn't get things done. but, you know, the other point i would make is, though, that people are in such a foul mood about the congress and about washington and about the insiders that the republican establishment better be careful. and david made this point also. that if it looks like newt is the only alternative to business as usual, newt could still win. >> that's how he won the first time. >> exactly. exactly. >> people like lynn martin, moderate republicans from illinois said, rather than lose again, we'll go with him. i want you to comment on this. this is really pitchfork fighting. here's ron paul going after gingrich getting all those deferments from the military back in the '60s. now, when you go after people's military deferments, this is in the gut. let's listen to this. >> he's probably as aggressive with the military as anybody. he support always the wars in the middle east, a thousand times more than i would. but, you know, when -- in the 1960s, when i was drafted, you know, into the military, h

newt's the wizard of oz. you think newt -- there's nothing there.y no attention to the man behind the curtain. anyway, now him. but to be fair to the wizard of oz, all those characters did have something redeeming in them, the movie characters. >>> up and next, newt gingrich's rising at just the time. he's leading in iowa and closing the gap in new hampshire. can newt keep up with mitt romney and take it all the way to the convention? i'm a big hunter. oh, what do you hunt? deer. fish. fantastic. ♪ this holiday, chevy's giving more. now qualified buyers can get 0% apr for 72 months on a 2011 chevy silverado. or 0% apr financing for 60 months plus no monthly payments until spring. ♪ really? 25 grams of protein. what do we have? all four of us, together? 24. he's low fat, too, and has 5 grams of sugars. i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... what's shakin'? [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. new ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five gra

leading off tonight, nailing newt. newt gingrich is finding out what it means to be the front-runner. newt's under siege from rivals like mitt romney and rick perry. perry's hitting him for his three marriages, believe it or not, and perry's hitting him for changing positions and religions. and now a conservative pastor out in iowa who's backing santorum is running a video calling newt the kim kardashian of the gop, and also attacking his serial marriages and his conversion to catholicism. with two debates in the next seven days, the attacks against gingrich are going ballistic. but republican voters are falling for newt, because they see him as a gladiator. he can counterpunch, and his supporters are betting he can survive the onslaught. are they right? >>> then, there aren't that many house republicans who endorse newt gingrich, but we'll talk to one of them about his chances -- newt's chances of winning iowa. georgia congressman jack kingston. he joins us tonight. >>> and dumping trump. that debate donald trump want

newt gingrich.kly been the terrible performance by some of the other candidates. candidates like rick perry. >> i would do away with the education, the, um the -- >> commerce. >> commerce. and let's see. i can't. the third one, i can't. i'm sorry. oops. >> poor old mr. perry. but the main reason for why newt gingrich seems to flourish is because he is never lost for words. gingrich has a quick answer for almost anything. but if you go back over what he actually says, it's usually a lump of ill-informed garbage wrapped up in the superficial ribbon of words like "fundamental," "basic," and his all-time favorite, "literally." for example, take a look at what he said yesterday when he was invited to discuss brain science, but quickly moved from neuroscience to offering his thoughts on the subject of obesity. and as you listen, listen for the overwhelming authority with the way he delivers his lines. >> i actually don't think obesity is a problem of money, obesity is a problem of culture. obesity is a pr

newt's down at fifth. starts, i think he should be prepare for a firestorm of late-nights when the jokes are all on newt. but just over 19% right now late-night mentions go to mittster, romney. that's tonight's big number. and i bet it changes very soon. >>> up next, why do so many republicans who came to power under newt gingrich in '94 have a problem with him now? why is newt disliked by so many of his former colleagues? that's ahead. you're watching "hardball," only on msnbc. ♪ it' s nice to be here ♪ ♪ it's nice to see you in my bed ♪ ♪ ♪ there are diamonds in her eyes ♪ ♪ and they sparkle in the night ♪ [ male announcer ] this is your moment. ♪ when the moment comes alive [ male announcer ] this is zales, the diamond store. take an extra 10 percent off storewide now through sunday. i know you're worried about making your savings last and having enough income when you retire. that's why i'm here. to help come up with a plan and get you on the right path. i have more than a thousand fidelity experts wor

in newt gingrich's case, for 20 years. in mitt romney's case, he's the only governor in the united states' history to put into place "socialized" medicine. they both agree with barack obama. this is the seminal piece of legislation of barack obama. it's the one issue that our candidate has to take president obama on with, and they won't be able to debate him on this issue because they're on the same side as the president. but also newt romney are on the same side of the president when it comes to cap-and-trade, the $700 billion bailout, illegal immigration, even the payroll tax this week, which there isn't one shred of evidence that that has created a single job. when you take a look, and people say this is a two-man race, i would agree. but the one man is newt romney and the other man is michele bachmann, the only proven consistent constitutional conservative. i'm the only one that can take the debate to barack obama and win and be elected. >> schieffer: i'm going to separate newt romney into two people again just to ask

newt's the wizard of oz. you think newt -- there's nothing there. i think he's ginned up this whole big thing. >> pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. anyway, now him, we'll really miss. but to be fair to the wizard of oz, all those characters did have something redeeming in them, the movie characters. >>> up and next, newt gingrich's rising at just the time. he's leading in iowa and closing the gap seriously in new hampshire. can newt keep up with mitt romney and take the fight all the way to the republican convention? you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. >>> here's what's happening. >>> here's what's happening. the u.s. military says it's unlikely anything useful or valuable survived the crash in an unmanned surveillance drone in iran. it was flying a mission over western afghanistan when they lost control and it ended up crashing on iran's side of the border. >>> standard & poor's is putting 15 of the 17 members of the european union on negative credit watch. that could cause real problems for ministers trying to put together a ba

could be newt.so let's, you know, make sure -- >> i'm one of those who believes the president pays strict attention to everything we do maybe not verbatim from this kind of program, but he knows what's going on politically. here's "60 minutes," steve kroft asking the president what he accomplished his first term. let's watch the president's very important answer here. >> not only saving this country from a great depression, not only saving the auto industry, but putting in place a system in which we're going to start lowering health care costs and you're never going to go bankrupt because you get sick or somebody in your family gets sick. making sure that we have reformed the financial system so we never again have taxpayer funded bailouts and the system is more stable and secure. ending "don't ask, don't tell," decimating al qaeda, including bin laden being taken off the field. >> compelling argument for re-election yet, or not? >> i think -- obviously, i think it is. but, you know, i don't know ho