Newt Gingrich Blasts CNN’s John King Over Ex-Wife Debate Question

CNN‘s John King could not resist asking Newt Gingrich  if he wanted to respond to his ex-wife Marianne Gingrich’s claim that he wanted an open marriage in the interview that was leaked yesterday.  So he led off with it.  Gingrich responds:

Transcript:

Gingrich: “No, but I will, I think the destructive vicious negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office. I’m appalled you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.”

King: “Is that all you want to say, sir?”

Gingrich: “Let me finish.  Every person in here knows personal pain. Every person in here has had someone close to them go through painful things. 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. My two daughters, my two daughters wrote the head of ABC and made the point that it was wrong, that they should pull it, and I am, frankly, astounded that CNN would take trash like that and use it to open a presidential debate.”

King: “This story did not come from our network.  As you also know, it is the subject of conversation on the campaign. I get your point, I take –”

Gingrich: “John, it was repeated by your network.  You chose to start the debate with it. Don’t blame it on somebody else. You and your staff chose to start the debate with it.”

I certainly don’t dismiss or excuse anything painful Speaker Gingrich may have said to his ex-wife, or the affair itself.  I do believe he was right to blast King over this line of questioning.  It is a despicable line of questioning for a presidential debate.   He throughout the day said he didn’t want to criticize his ex-wife.  His daughters said that the charge wasn’t true.

There are obviously valid stories and criticisms of candidates to consider, but this interview by ABC is over the top and CNN asking the subsequent question was even worse.

Related articles

• Gingrich shows off debate performance in S.C. ad (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
• One of Newt’s Ex-Wives Says He Wanted An ‘Open Marriage’ (littlegreenfootballs.com)