Paul Krugman, George Will Bash Newt Gingrich On 'This Week' (VIDEO)

Columnists Paul Krugman and George Will may not agree on much, but both men came together to bash Newt Gingrich on Sunday's "This Week."

Gingrich has been surging in the GOP polls lately, even as he has come under fire for his ties to mortgage giant Freddie Mac. Both Will and Krugman, however, had little love for the former House speaker.

“It is an amazingly efficient candidacy in that in embodies everything disagreeable about modern Washington,” Will (whose wife consults for Rick Perry) said, running through a long list of problems he had with Gingrich. He also mocked Gingrich's explanation that Freddie Mac had given him over a million dollars to be a "historian" for the company. "He's not a historian!" Will snapped. Later, he piled on more, saying Gingrich was guilty of "absurd rhetorical grandiosity."

Fellow panelist Peggy Noonan came to Gingrich's defense, saying that he had a "fresh" debate strategy and was exciting the Republican base.

Krugman gave a dismissive answer to this assertion.

"The Republican base does not want Romney, and they keep on looking for an alternative," he said. "And Newt, although somebody said he's a stupid man's idea of what a smart man sounds like, but he is more plausible than the other guys that they've been pushing up."

Background on Newt Gingrich:

Comments

[PhDcommonsense]

06:30 PM on 11/28/2011

All of these people, except the one Nobel Prize Winner, Paul Krugman, are just Conservative Hacks. Will Thinks he is the smartest man in the Room, Dowd just likes to hear himself talk. By the time Peggy gets through putting on all of the Aires and clearing her throat, and acting like she has the "vapors" before she speaks, she still does NOT add anything to the Conversation.

I totally agree with George Will on his observations of Newt. I am looking for the sky to fall in on me any minute for letting it be known that George Will finally utter a truth about a fellow Republican and I can agree with him. Newt is Jerk as CLEARLY pointed out by George Will.

[Damajah]

06:31 AM on 11/23/2011

Obama bashing is the only thing that got these Republican candidates where they are. They are all unelectable, and every day of closer scrutiny makes this more apparent. Romney? Trounced by John Mc Same. Newt? More wives than Henry VIII, and dripping with dirty money. Paul? Closet racist hiding behind Libertarianism. Perry? Moron. Bachmann? Teaparty hooker. The media? Desperately trying to keep up their ratings, by posing these clowns as having a snowball's chance. The Republican vetting process, which requires each candidate to kiss the ring of extremism, is going to shove them all to the right of Vlad the Impaler, and hence, unelectable.

[PhDcommonsense]

06:23 PM on 11/28/2011

Damajah, This is one of the best comments I have every read on describing the Republican Field of Candidates and the Republican Party in General.

Thank you for the education. I hope more people read this comment.

[joeyfoto]

12:09 AM on 11/23/2011

This is a case of the despicable in pursuit of the unelectable.

[BenFromCA]

11:52 PM on 11/22/2011

"although somebody said [Newt]'s a stupid man's idea of what a smart man sounds like,"

I wish I had Paul Krugman's talent for turning a phrase!

[Craig Bovia]

04:29 PM on 11/22/2011

The first time George Will said something that I agree in 40 years. “It is an amazingly efficient candidacy in that in embodies everything disagreeable about modern Washington,” Will (whose wife consults for Rick Perry) said, running through a long list of problems he had with Gingrich. He also mocked Gingrich's explanation that Freddie Mac had given him over a million dollars to be a "historian" for the company. "He's not a historian!" Will snapped. Later, he piled on more, saying Gingrich was guilty of "absurd rhetorical grandiosity."
Then I find out his wife works for Perry. His record as a political shill is unbroken. Will can't spell Integrity. He has Snobby Arrogance down to a "T" Party.

[Neils60]

03:54 PM on 11/22/2011

Krugman isn't going to be problem for Gingrich, as I've seen him on news/talk shows in the past, and he's not been very impressive. George Will, however, is a lot quicker on his feet, and can give Newt some uncomfortable moments.

[Craig Bovia]

04:32 PM on 11/22/2011

One man gives well thought out, intelligent opinions. Will just runs his mouth.

[Damajah]

06:34 AM on 11/23/2011

Newt's sudden ascendency is attributable to one thing...Mitt's growing vulnerabilities.

[joeyfoto]

12:18 AM on 11/23/2011

Neils60 wrote: "Krugman isn't going to be problem for Gingrich, as I've seen him on news/talk shows in the past, and he's not been very impressive­. George Will, however, is a lot quicker on his feet, and can give Newt some uncomforta­ble moments."

Really, Krugman is not very impressive but George Will is a lot quicker on his feet. That says a lot about someone who gets his education on TV. Paul Krugman won the Nobel Prize in economics for real work while George Will is a third-rate political thinker, a failed public prognosticator and very good wordsmith, whose best book is about baseball. I'd say that you have very limited ability to discern what is "impressive."

As to making Newton Leroy Gingrich "uncomfortable," anyone with a memory that extends back to 1990, could do that in a heart-beat. Gingrich's past is an embarrassment to himself as it would be to the Republican Party — if the GOP was still capable of shame or embarrassed.

[mdlawyer2]

02:45 PM on 11/22/2011

Newt, "a stupid man's idea of what a smart man sounds like." Cain, a stupid man's idea of what a stupid man sounds like. Perry, a smart man's idea of what a stupid man sounds like. A smart man's idea of what a smart man sounds like, the Repulicans have nothing to offer. Get that last base covered and you might become a viable, credible political option.

[Sanity Rules]

05:56 PM on 11/22/2011

Fanned.

[joeyfoto]

12:25 AM on 11/23/2011

Actually, Governor Huntsman most closely fits the description of "A smart man's idea of what a smart man sounds like..." That must be why he's polling in the low single-digits among this class of Republican primary voters.

[IWantTofu]

08:50 AM on 11/23/2011

Don't forget Michelle Bachmann, a hot babe.

[PC812]

05:25 AM on 12/05/2011

Agreed. I'd never vote for him because I disagree with his policies, but at least Huntsman seems to put some thought behind his policies. That's more than can be said for the rest of the field.

[RAStewart]

01:38 PM on 11/22/2011

"A stupid man's idea of what a smart man sounds like"--I love this.

[jkelly1450]

10:39 AM on 11/22/2011

I'm a Democrat who would vote for George Will. Why doesn't he or someone like him consider it?

[roger37]

01:07 PM on 11/22/2011

Wade through a few of George Will's columns over the years, and you'll see why he is considered
an intellectual prostitute. Amidst the piles of words and phrases, you'll frequently find a fact that is either misrepresented or completely demagogued.

Of course, that's if you can keep awake reading his stuff.

[Craig Bovia]

04:33 PM on 11/22/2011

He is just a right-wing Hooker.

[Bocababs]

10:17 AM on 11/22/2011

There are less dirtier people than Newt Gingrich living in Cardboard boxes under I-95 than Newt is with Lobbyists. You take a bath, Newt, and wash off all the Lobbyist Money you took over the years.

[Dawg1000]

09:47 AM on 11/22/2011

Krugman: ‘Only fools and clowns’ believe Republican ideology

Dawg1000: 'Only fools and clowns' believe Democrat and Republican ideology

[emmasvoice]

09:44 AM on 11/22/2011

Qoting the article on Peggy Noonan's comment, "Fellow panelist Peggy Noonan came to Gingrich's defense, saying that he had a "fresh" debate strategy and was exciting the Republican base". Is Noonan approaching senility?

[roger37]

01:07 PM on 11/22/2011

She's always been a little loopy.

[treasuredtrophie]

08:26 AM on 11/22/2011

Paul and George so far left they would want you to drive smart cars all white wearing grey suites. Giving your money to your Gov so they can hand it out. Hey sounds like most of Europe and how is that working out?

[12Purple]

10:15 AM on 11/22/2011

George Will is a leftie? What planet are you on?

[roger37]

01:09 PM on 11/22/2011

He's from the planet that believes the ability to construct a grammatically correct sentence is the property of the intellectual elites, or "the lib'ruls."

[Sanity Rules]

06:00 PM on 11/22/2011

Reading apparently isn't fundamental for treauredtrophy. If he could at least read at the 7th grade level, he'd realize that George Will has been extremely right wing on every topic with the possible exception of baseball.

[2112progressive]

10:50 AM on 11/22/2011

You are not paying attention and should not comment on political matters. Go back to NASCAR blogs, buddy. George Will is left???????

[treasuredtrophie]

08:24 AM on 11/22/2011

OB vs Newt in a debate oh man like KC vs Pats. OB would get clocked.

[Mama Bee]

11:13 AM on 11/22/2011

"..he's a stupid man's idea of what a smart man sounds like,.." I guess this might apply to you.

[Kenneth Spradlin]

06:22 PM on 11/22/2011

Dreamer.

[troutster]

07:59 AM on 11/22/2011

The fact that so many of our fellow countrymen like this guy is depressing.