what do you think about newt gingrich for president? caller: i think the democratic party would love nothing more to have newt gingrich as the nominee because he is a throwback of the past. he is another sound bite. just a throwback to old arguments that the democrats make against republicans. i am an evangelical christian. i guess what a democratic call me -- christian, republican, conservative. but i am for a herman cain or ron paul because we cannot make more arguments if we do not have a strong country to make up that argument within. we need somebody who is going to throw social issues out of the window right now and spoke to the focus on some stability economically, policy wise. someone not afraid to attack the 60% to 70% of the government that is mandated spending -- with the defense spending, social security, medicare, medicaid. those are the things that they are not addressed soon we will not have a country for evangelical christians or progressives on the left to debate the social and moral issues because we would not have a co

number one thing you don't want to do when you start a campaign is alienate your political base. >> newt gingrichhas cleaning up to do if he's going to get his campaign rolling again. >> he blew himself up not just as a candidate but in a real sense as a republican. >> jon: wrong. newt can't blow up any further. he is already inflated to maximum pressure. [laughter] besides, folks, it's all a misunderstanding. as newt explained while on a break from selling oranges on the side of road. >> any effort to impose a federal mandate on anyone it's fundamentally wrong and i believe un-- [horn honking] >> stephen: sure on sunday he was for individual mandates and monday he found it unconstitutional. things change. maybe between sunday and monday he read the constitution for the first time. he knows a good leader views all sides of an issue. a great leader takes all sides of an issue. he told newsweek paul ryan was a brave man of ideas. but on sunday he dismissed his plan as too radical. >> i don't think right wing social engineering is any more desirable than left wing social engineering. >> stephen: tha

[laughter] >> jon: here is my impression of newt gingrich in a minute. [laughter] nonalcoholic tequila. [laughter] bomb sniffing turtles. [laughter] kosher bacon. [laughter] edible diapers. [laughter] two ideas a minute but a lot of them. the larger point is all is forgiven. you get a second chance to make a first impression. he chose just the place to do it "meet the press." a chance to show off. david gregory set him up with an easy one. what do you think of paul ryan's medicare. >> should the republicans change medicare? yonch think right wing social engineering is any more 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 the society to operate. >> jon: wow appealing to the moderate wing of the republican party, a wing closed for renovations. [laughter] i'm sure they respect the gravitas. >> he detonated his campaign on sunday. >> does he want to be nominated by the republican party. one wonders. >> he was never a likable guy. >> this is a capital offense. >> how can i

let's play that ad. >> newt gingrich says the republican plan that would essentially end medicare is ley thinks the plan is courageous and gingrich shouldn't be cutting conservatives off at the knees. mitt romney says he's on the same page with paul ryan, who wrote the plan to essentially end medicare. but with mitt romney, you have to wonder, which page is he on today? priorities usa action is responsible for the content of this advertisement. >> andrea mitchell, this is where the debate is going? >> the debate is going exactly to that point, and both sides trying to demonize the other. and what you're saying and what mike murphy is saying is that people want leadership, people want someone to show some guts here. paul ryan had shown considerable guts, but you're correct that nobody on the republican side is showing any courage on the tax front. and unless taxes are part of the mix, every grown-up knows it can't -- >> but ryan opened the window today to actually come to the middle. he wants another proposal. he wants a proposal from the democrats, and i think if they can actually --

>> no, how much damage has newt gingrich done to your effort to reform -- >> oh, newt gingrich, i'm sorry, i didn't hear you correctly. i'm not a pundit. i'm a policy maker and i'll let you and the voters figure this stuff out. point is this, we've got to get beyond this and we've got to get on to a serious conversation about what it takes to fix the fiscal problems in this country. and if we don't tackle these problems now while we have time, they're going to tackle us. and our whole point here is we need to preempt and avert a debt crisis, and the way we have proposed to do that is do on our terms and prevent people who are currently retired and people about to retire from having severe disruptions in their lives, and so -- >> but congressman -- >> the people of iowa and new hampshire can figure this stuff out. >> but wait a second, but that really is a dodge. you are the chairman of the committee, yes, you're serious about entitlement reform, yes. you're also a politician. you say you want to do it on your terms. law does not become law without building political consensus, and you don

senator coburn "made it clear that he won't be on newt gingrich's 2012 presidential bandwagon. gingrich is a super smart man, but he doesn't know anything about commitment to marriage," he said of the thrice-married house speaker. he's the last person i'd vote for for president of the united states. his life indicates he does not have the commitment to the character traits necessary to be a great president." >> they have a right to ask these questions. i have made mistakes in my life. i've gone to god for forgiveness and to seek reconciliation and i'd say look at my life now. look at the marriage i have, the close relationship with my daughters and their two husbands. look at the loving relationship we have with our grandchildren, and decide whether or not i am today a person that they believe could lead the country and could save us in a period of enormous problems. i think the problems we face require a leader with the courage to take the heat and to try to bring together millions of people so that collectively, we can get this country back on the right track. >> but before yo

newt gingrich has a complicated problem.naturally does, at the same time, he needs to dial back, as he said. whenever you asked him a tough question today, he smiled and tried to stay calm and not be a flame-thrower, and i think that's what he'll try to do the rest of the way. >> e.j., you've covered him for many years. is he too much a symbol of the past or does he deserve a second act? >> he is a symbol of the past, but newt has always wanted to run for president, so i'm glad he's doing it. he seems to be trying to cast himself as a good-natured flame-thrower and he was very good at kind of fending off those questions, but he can never resist going a few steps over the top. right during your interview, you asked him if this comment on food stamps is racially tinged, and he doubles down and says do we want the u.s. to become like detroit, aka, motown? so, newt's always unplugged. but you've got the most unsettled republican field i think since 1940, when wendell wilkey snuck in. usually it's a front-runner or rockefeller or

newt gingrich is running for president -- what's next for 2012? we tackle it all tonight on "washington week." >> osama bin laden will never again threaten the united states of america. gwen: but nearly two weeks later, the fallout from the death of public enemy number one continues, especially in afghanistan and pakistan. >> pakistan is not the birthplace of al qaeda, we did not invite osama bin laden to pakistan or even to afghanistan. gwen: as the u.s. braces for retaliation we learn more about what bin laden planned and what happens next in south is asia and the middle east. on the domestic campaign trail, more candidates join the republican fray. >> i'm newt gingrich and i'm announcing my candidacy for president of the united states because i believe we can return america to hope and opportunity. >> there is an old saying, three's a charm. gwen: and others edge toward the ring. how long can the democratic president capitalize on the g.o.p.'s uncertainty? covering the week, nancy youssef of mcclatchy newspapers, david sanger of "the new york t

when i got back from my honeymoon, my wife threw my autographed book of newt gingrich out and said it. now, she had had jackie gingrich as a teacher and lost her mother to breast cancer, so she has very bitter memories toward newt gingrich and i think she's very typical of a lot of evangelical women in the south. but he also has a different angle, as well. he converted from being a southern baptist to a catholic. when you go to iowa or to south carolina or to georgia and the other southern states, converting from an evangelical southern baptist to catholicism also strikes people as odd. in addition to the other baggage he has. >> good call there throwing the book out. that's an excellent call. i applaud you for that one. when you look at this, and be as fair as you can here, newt gingrich is the boogeyman to a lot of democrats. he was sparring with bill clinton for so often. joe johns mentioned what some would call the hypocrisy during the impeachment battle. but when you look at newt gingrich, do you think it's the personal stuff that will be the big issue or is it simply when you're

and that is something that definitely newt gingrich lacks by a lot. you know, from what i've seen, and i've met him several times, he does have a likability there, and can make a personal connection. again, i do not agree on anything from a policy standpoint. but he does have likability. he does have credibility among his own base. i think that i would advise him to really take a look at this. this could be the chance for him. >> and yet all indications are that it's a no, right? >> i'm hearing that. he could surprise everybody tomorrow. i've had several friends who say they think he'll do it. but i think he won't. he has a likability issue that the others don't. people really like him. he speaks in a way the others don't and i think if he got in, he could raise everyone else to their a game. the down side is in 2008, he largely got a pass on his record as governor of arkansas, because everyone was caught off guard. he will have to answer a lot of questions he didn't have to answer in 2008. this year we're going to see herman cane became the mike huck

that was newt gingrich., texas congressman ron paul also announced he is a candidate for the gop nomination. >> today and at this moment i'm officially announcing that i am a candidate for president in the republican primary. >> why? >> because time has come around to the point where the people are agreeing with much of what i have been saying for 30 years. so, i think the time is right. >> all right, then there is tonight on his fox news program, former arkansas governor mike huckabee expected to announce whether he is running for president. indiana governor mitch daniels who hasn't said what he is going to do and chris christie. chris christie has said repeatedly that he's not getting into the race. so, joining me now, my favorites to talk about this and the rest of the world of power of politics maria cardona in washington for us and republican strategist lenny mccallister in chicago. guys, good to see you, as always. as we always do here, first question first. maria, what was your political headline of t

is newt gingrich an exciting candidate? you have said recently that there was a place and a time for him. do you think he's the right candidate for the republican party right now? will he win the nomination? >> you know, i think the press always tries to paint a dark picture on everything. i think every candidate has their challenges. i think what we've seen with newt gingrich, he's had great ideas in the past. what we're already starting to see, he's coming out and showing how his ideas today match the feelings of what they're dealing with today. whether medicaid mandates, whether it's food stamps, whether it's the unions. he's come out and talked about the unions. that's what we want to hear about are the issues of the day. that's what every candidate has to do. i was pleased to see him start to do that this week. >> how do you square that, saying he did have a time and a place. does he speak to the future to you? >> you know, i think that will remain to be seen. that's what he has got to tell. i think the people in south

day one on the ground in iowa and former house speaker newt gingrich had some explaining to do. >> wouldour statements yesterday on nbc about right wing social engineering? >> it was a reference to how republicans hit the roof after gingrich criticized a plan by paul ryan that would turn medicare into a voucher program. gingrich referred to it as right wing social engineering. conservatives, rush limbaugh and nikki haley all pounced and at an interview gingrich softened his criticism. >> i think he has the beginning of what could be an extraordinary plan. it's so big and central to people's lives that we need to do it right. >> gingrich sounded every bit the maverick, willing to balance the budget when he was speaker. >> who gets the credit? you or president clinton? >> let's be fair. if he hadn't signed it, it wouldn't have bounced. if i hadn't passed it, he couldn't have signed it. >> he told reporter to be prepared for an unorthodoxed campaign that would change positions. >> how do we hold you accountable? >> long before you get to the election we'll lock down. but the evolution of it

newt gingrich will hit the deck running. he has campaign speeches lined up in washington and atlanta. >>> more than 300 billboards that could help find the person who beat a giants fan will soon go up along los angeles free ways. it shows two sketches of the men who beat brian stow. it also reminds people about the $100,000 reward. brian stow is still in a hospital in a coma. doctors hope to have him moved to a bay area hospital. >>> the navy seals report an ongoing problem, counter fits, guys who claim to be navy seals so they can pick up women. and they expect this problem to get worse after reports of seal team 6 taking out osama bin laden. there are genuine seals who investigate reports of fakes. one says he gets 4-50 inquiries a day. >> at the white house tonight, michelle obama is hosting a poetry event that is raising controversy. she kicked off the celebration, she praised the power of poetry and said writing played a big role in her own life. >> i was a passionate creative writer and a -- sort of a poet. that is how

>> right, but it's also republicans who were criticizing newt gingrich. the show and knew what they saw. the other republicans weren't coming out and saying you know what, newt, somebody played a game of gotcha with you. it was the republicans saying no way. >> joe, you pointed out this half a million dollar credit line he had at tiffanies and he didn't want to talk about it. if you're running for president of the united states, you have to assume that everything in your personal, financial, political life is open. you have to talk about it. you can't just say i'm not talking about it. >> it's impossible. the cat's out of the bag. when you're running for president, everything is fair game. he knows that. he was raked over the coals in a lot of ways when he was on capitol hill. people got into his business. go pac is a good example of it. so speaker gingrich nose the deal. a lot of people are asking whether he's trying to play politics. '90s style when we're in 2011 and when things move so fast with twitter and facebook and like that, you have to be really

some of the stuff he says is very intelligent, some not so much. >> everybody you talk to about newt gingrich say he's undisciplined. the problem with gingrich is he has an awful lot of ideas, and some of them are even good, right? but he tends to talk about all of them. i spoke with somebody who used to work with him who said, you know, his problem is that he surrounds himself with people who let him say whatever he wants to say. he needs people around him who can say, you know, newt, you shouldn't talk about that or that, here is the message of our campaign and you need to stick with it. there's a real concern that he just won't be able to do that. >> he also gets bored a little bit, some people say. he gets bored with saying the same thing over and over again, the typical stump speech. he wants to fancy it up a little bit or try something out, and if you try something out that doesn't work, it's a headline a lot of times. >> the videotape that's not going to go away any time soon. let's talk about ron paul. he made his big announcement on friday as well. is he in this to win it or get his

newt gingrich kind of proved that he's not it. mitt romney isn't quite it yet. did any candidate jump in, denounce newt gingrich and take up that banner or are tea partyiers still waiting for sarah palin and michelle backman? >> michelle backman is the one candidate who saw that opening as perhaps her best opportunity. and she had planned to make an announcement in june and she this week told her supporters she may move up her announcement. gwen: and made a whole lot of robo calls into iowa yesterday after the president's speech. >> and she can raise a lot of money and that's the other thing. the candidates who are sitting on the outside, who have not made up their minds about whether they're getting in or not, the only one withs who are going to have a shot to get in here are those that can raise money fast. and that window is closing even for them. but bachmann is definitely one of them because she definitely is a grassroots online kind of candidate who can turn over donations quickly. >> i was going to say, a lot of people think mitch daniels might get in her

and newt gingrich. damage control on the 2012 campaign trail. and sex scandals that rock the public here and abroad. scandals that rock the public here and abroad. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] doctors have been saying it forever. let's take a look. but they've never actually been able to do it like this. let's take a look. v-scan from ge healthcare. a pocket sized imaging device that will help change the way doctors see patients. that's better health for more people. >>> those shouts of human dignity is being heard throughout the region. through the moral force of nonviolence, the people of the region have achieved more change in six months than terrorists have accomplished in decades. >> president obama on thursday, in his first major speech on the uprising in the middle east. israel, of course, ate up most of the headlines but in many respects the arab uprising presents the white house with an urgent set of questions. revolution is happening now and my guest is caught right in the middle. he's king abdullah of jordan a key american ally and auth

the family charge account at tiffany's is now becoming an issue for newt gingrich. ca lis tas gingrich, the wife of newt gingrich, is known for her great taste in jewelry. no wonder. the couple had a revolving credit line of $250,000 to $500,000 at tiffany's. a bit over the top for a guy who is running for president, says political reporter jake sherman who broke the story. >> a quarter million dollars in jewelry, that's what a lot of people pay for their house, $300,000, $400,000. so people don't exactly understand how someone could go into debt. i mean we're talking about debt of a quarter million to a half a million dollars on jewelry. >> this is a stunning string of diamonds worn by calista gingrich, a similar version on the website costs $45,000. these cluster diamond earrings she's wearing here, a similar pair is $5200 the matching necklace, $9500. just two strands of pearls cost $975 on the tiffany's website. calista has several layered around her neck. imagine having a credit card with a $500,000 limit to shop exclusively at one store. tiffany & company. alth

. >>> and sarah palin says leave newt gingrich alone. she slams the media for playing gotcha. and his explanations and denials are, well, you can judge for yourself. we'll tell you what he's saying today and how it differs from monday and sunday. [ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. >>> we have more breaking news tonight. they try to recruit new followers on the streets of new york and online. well, now a man named jessie curtis morton, who we've interviewed in the past, has been charged with threatening the writers of the comedy series "south park." he seemed to believe they insulted the prove et "muhammad." they portrayed the prove et wearing a bear suit. this is a shot what angered mem

>> i'm sorry, neither is newt gingrich. we are talking about a man here who was carrying on a long-term affair in a party that apprises itself as being a family values party. we are trying to take down bill clinton at the same time. if he doesn't think that's going to be a legitimate issue going forward, he is nuts. >> let me play for you a clip from this morning's "meet the press" where david gregory did raise this question more explicit fashion. he started out by talking about how gingrich's personal image may be hurting his poll numbers. >> some of that has to do with your own personal life. you have been married three times, extramarital affairs, one of which during the time republicans were pursuing president clinton for impeachment. the label of being hypocrite. and i wonder how you are going to deal with this. >> i have made mistakes in my life. i have had to go to god for forgiveness and seek reconciliation. i asked him to look at who i am today. look at the strong marriage calista and i have. look at close relation

. >>> and sarah palin says leave newt gingrich alone. she slams the media for playing gotcha. and his explanations and denials are, well, you can judge for yourself. we'll tell you what he's saying today and how it differs from monday and sunday. cer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. how'd you do that? do what? you made it taste like chocolate. it has 35% of your daily value of fiber. tasty fiber, that's a good one! ok, umm...read her mind. [ male announcer ] fiber one chewy bars. down the hill? man: all right. we were actually thinking, maybe... we're going to hike up here, so we'll catch up with you guys. [ indistinct talking and laughter ] whew! i think it's worth it. working with a partner you can

. >>> and sarah palin says leave newt gingrich alone. she slams the media for playing gotcha. for asking him about changing medicare and dipgs him for not being ready for it. and his explanations and denials are, well, you can judge for yourself. we'll tell you what he's saying today and how it differs from what he said on tuesday and then on monday and on sunday. keeping them honest, we'll talk to paul begala and rich gallen also tonight. [ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. look at all this stuff for coffee. oh there's tons. french presses, espresso tampers, filters. it can get really complicated. not nearly as complicated as shipping it, though. i mean shipping is a hassle. not with pr

newt gingrich, on his third marriage. mitch daniels whose wife divorced him, left him with their in our daughters and then returned three years later and then they remarried. and of course donald trump. howard, this is a strange story. let's start with the personal ones and strange for people even thinking of running for president. maybe a situation of desperation they're in. mitch daniels, his story was in every paper this week. they decide to put it out. somebody did. his wyche many years ago left him, left the four daughters in his care, split, married some guy who got divorced himself, then came back three years later, they married again. is this going to be the kind of -- for lack of a better word ickey discussion that no wife or husband really wants to spend a year talking about? >> well, there are a lot of republican leaders who want mitch daniels to run. and my understanding is that he wants to run. and in his own mind has decided to run. but this is what he's dealing with right now. i think this story is out beca

, if you are a republican interested in elected other republicans to office, the downside of a newt gingrichnational campaign has always been greater than the upside of one. because of newt's proclivity, his inclination, his irresistable tendency to always speak in sort of bombastic sewer latif, exaggerated words and exclamation points. and that's it. i mean he wantses to draw the starkest extremes he can between his position ands those on the other side. and that's what he did. he went on to a show, "meet the press requesting can. this wasn't an on the run, 250 watt interview radio station from fargo you know, just getting you between planes. you go on "meet the press"ment you sit down beforehand, you go rehearse your answers, you anticipate what they're going to ask. you know-- and he went on there and basically just savaged what every republican in the house had voted for except four, the paul ryan plan. and then it was classic newt. he said any ad quoting what i said on "meet the press" is a falsehood. now i mean, this is a youtube world. i mean it's there for everybody to see and it's g

say what about newt gingrich. that is what i appreciate about what newt gingrich says. host: this tweet -- we will let that stand as a comment. next is a river field, florida. caller: i just wanted to say that i did not understand -- when you first came on, you said that you liked newt gingrich. for the past few days, he has been making comments which were racial in tone, and not to mention he cheated on his wife. his intelligence should put him on a level or a plateau of both gop members because a lot of the gop members that are now candidates do not really actually fit the criteria of being the president of the united states at this time. we have newt gingrich, one of your colleagues in the gop -- this guy is constantly throwing daggers at mr. president obama for no apparent reason but just to gain some political atmosphere. host: i want to ask you a question. he suggested that newt gingrich has been making comments recently with racial overtones. what is an example? caller: he spent of president obama's kenya race. we all know from donald trump and everything that pr

newt gingrich joins us live in the studio here. mr. gingrich, let's just start with the overnight news. mitch dan yells, the one that a lot of republicans, establishment republicans and especially a lot of people who had supported george bush last time out were really putting pressure on him to run for the republican nomination. he said last night he's simply not going to do it. what do you make of that and what is the impact of that? >> i think mitch has been own reasons for not running. but he is one of the great reform governors in this country. his educational reforms are remarkable. he's done a great job of bringing jobs to indiana. his privatization program on highways is really a benchmark for the country. he has a great future, and i think he'll play a major role in designing a platform and a major role in helping other people learn that you actually can govern and you can actually be creative. i think the scott walkers, the john kay sick, even chris christie learned something from him. >> schieffer: why do you think he decided

he's trying to show even these older guys are young and hip and using facebook and twitter. >> is newt gingrichast generation guy or can he hook up with the new generation? ( laughter ) ( applause ) sglon you know hook-up means ( bleep ), right? you know that. that's what it means? ( applause ) look, newt-- and i say this with all due respect, newt, and i hate to break this to you, but this whole twitter, youtube thing is not going to work for you because you're not cool. ( laughter ) you're uncool. let me put it th in lingo you might understand. you're what might be known to your generation as a square. ( laughter ) look at you. physically. you resemble a square. you physically-- look at your head. your head looks like the box a slightly smaller square head would come in. ( laughter ) which is fine, but embrace who you are. you're a smartie-pants policy wonk guy. you should announce through through a media form with a limited amount of characters like twitter. do it through a sudukeo puzzle whiches is awe know, is a large square made up of a series of smaller ones. let's face it, newt, if you

>> stephen: you could play newt gingrich in the biopick. the only other newt i can think so that young girl... remember the feral girl in "alien?" >> stephen: you could play a feral eight-year-old. you're very... >> (laughs). >> stephen: you've won your tony, your emmy, and your oscar. >> tio. >> and you got theio. why keep acting? it seems like you've won acting? (cheers and applause) you're in it for the awards, right? that's the joy. that and doing these press junkets. (laughter). >> yeah, we can't wait. the moment you get the script from the agent you think "i can't wait for the press junket. just sitting in the room and doing 16 of these in a row is going to be fantastic!" >> stephen: this movie is 3d, right? >> yeah. >> stephen: is it harder to do 3d? is it a burden to have... >> no, i always act in 3d. (laughter) >> stephen: geoffrey rush thank you so much for joining me. (cheers and applause) the man is geoffrey rush. the movie is "pirates of the caribbean: on stranger tides." in theaters next friday. we'll be right back. we'll be ri

newt gingrich gets glitter bombed.did he not. >> it's incredible the week that he's had. the video of him getting covered in glitter is almost symbolic. you think, what is the caption? when it rains, it pours. first gingrich goes on "meet the press" and slams the medicare plan and he has gotten so beat up about that he's had to apologize and that was from people in his own party and now this. i mean, the glitter culprit is named nick espinoza. he's in his 20s and calls himself a political activist. >> that's a lot of glitter. >> yeah, a lot of glitter. he's apparently best known as a prankster. thousands of pennies making political points all along the way. this is another one of his 15 minutes of fame. >> how did his bodyguards handle it? >> it's glitter. some people said that he was all smiles, which we know is important. a big scowl does not play well for the cameras. >> and then the guy runs off. they ran him off. >> okay. rick santorum, another presidential contender and john mccain. what is he saying? and santoru