Fox News' Chris Wallace and Newt Gingrich (a former Fox News contributor) had a very hostile exchange during Thursday's GOP presidential debate in Iowa.
Wallace pointed out to Gingrich that, in June, he suffered a huge staff exodus.
"How do you respond to people who say that your campaign has been a mess so far?" he asked.
Gingrich was highly displeased by the question, and he turned on Wallace.
"I took seriously Bret's injunction to put aside the talking points," he said, referring to a request Wallace's co-host Bret Baier had made at the outset of the debate. "And I wish you would put aside the gotcha questions...I'd love to see the rest of tonight's debate asking us about what we would do to lead America...instead of playing Mickey Mouse games."
Wallace looked peeved as the audience cheered loudly. When the applause died down, he said, "If you think questions about your record are Mickey Mouse, I'm sorry. I think those are questions that a lot of people want to hear answers to and you're responsible for your record, sir."
Gingrich asked for a rebuttal.
"I think that there's too much attention paid by the press corps to the campaign minutiae and not enough paid by the press corps to the basic ideas that distinguish us from Barack Obama," he said, as the audience cheered again.