John King, Newt Gingrich Rehash South Carolina Debate Question (VIDEO)

CNN's John King hosted GOP candidate Newt Gingrich on his show Monday night and rehashed what he called their "moment" during last week's South Carolina debate.

King, who moderated the debate for CNN, addressed his opening question to Newt Gingrich. His question was in regard to allegations Gingrich's ex-wife made during an interview with ABC News just days before the debate and South Carolina primary. Gingrich attacked King and what he called the "elite media" in his very fiery response. "I'm tired of the elite media protecting Barack Obama by attacking Republicans," Gingrich said last week. Gingrich also said that his campaign offered ABC News people to interview to refute his ex-wife's claims, and ABC decided not to interview them.

On his show Monday night, King replayed Gingrich's charged response to his question. King asked, "I could not have asked you the question if your ex-wife had not come forward. She's a Republican, sir, she said she supports much of your principles. How was that an example of the elite media trying to protect Barack Obama?"

Gingrich called into question ABC's decision to interview an ex-wife who "wants to testify on the air just before a primary with no one able to rebut her." Speaking directly to King, he told him that he "didn't have to take the bait." Gingrich added that King could have "ignored ABC" and asked "big questions" instead.

"We did talk about other issues, but a lot of people in the state were talking about that issue that day," King said. He then told Gingrich that ABC News has said that his campaign did not offer people to the network.

"Oh that is just plain baloney. I'll check with R.C. Hammond in a minute but if they're saying that, they're not being honest...we had several people prepared to be very clear and very aggressive in their dispute about that, and [ABC] wasn't interested," Gingrich said.

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Comments

[Dr Jimmy and Mr Jim]

10:13 PM on 01/26/2012

King has NO journalistic integrity. He deserves NO respect.
CNN has NO journalistic integrity. They deserve NO respect.

For King to stand there like a little boy and let Newtie dress him down, while the rabid, empty-headed racists cheered him on represents a new low point in televised debates.

If you ask me the whole thing was staged. Sad, sad, sad commentary on the state of the media.

[lassefaire]

02:17 PM on 01/26/2012

it's called Ad-Hominem Fallacies. If you want to be the President of the United State this is a very bad mode of rebuttal for a question you don't want to answer. As far as everyone's concern South Carolina racist mentality is only Isolated in that place. Newty has to do better than that or else he will be peeled like the rotten banana that he truly is.

[Grace Hulbert]

12:39 PM on 01/26/2012

If Newt didn't want to be questioned on his morals then he should have had some! Don't blame the media Newt, blame YOURSELF and take a bath first!

[Dr Jimmy and Mr Jim]

10:14 PM on 01/26/2012

Off topic: I want that puppy in your picture.

[Grace Hulbert]

10:37 PM on 01/26/2012

Thanks, I think LOL Cute huh?

[Earfling]

11:14 AM on 01/26/2012

Looking for a quintessential example of where today's elite MSM is at? Look no further than this gem from a CNN "reporter".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4eAu5wn2wU

[52tucker]

02:25 PM on 01/26/2012

What part of the question do you find objectionable?

[Earfling]

11:06 AM on 01/26/2012

If "Newt is phony" the current President is double: from his phony accent when to speaks to the "lower classes"..."all ah know is that ya'll need to git this congress movin'!" Hes been campaigning hard for the last year on the taxpayer dime and calling it "leadership".That's phony.
He'll use his billion dollar war chest to complain about "those rich fellas after me".
He's been absent from a leadership role for the past four months.
We need a leader not a campaigner-speechifier.

[lipsgardner78]

11:46 AM on 01/26/2012

every first term president in the history of this country, have campaigned for a 2nd term, that is the most worn out political accusation ever.
And nice quotation marks around "those rich fellas after me" Id love to see where our president ever said that, and in what context. There is not one pertinent fact in anything you said. If you disagree with Obama, lets hear it, thats fair, but your lack of a coherent argument is pretty telling, that you have no policy leg to stand on.

[Earfling]

11:56 AM on 01/26/2012

Certainly you've caught at least a few of the President's speeches to "the folks" where he drops his usual speech for a pronounced "folksy" accent...which I find phony at best and troublesome at worst, as when he speaks to an AA group. And this phony business of the State of the Union speech "pivoting" into campaign mode. Come on, the guy's been in full campaign mode for over a year.

[52tucker]

02:29 PM on 01/26/2012

Ah, so you're clearly on the side of the non-campaigning candidates for president.
Idiocy. Every candidate, and every sitting president, must campaign for election or re-election.

[kulak]

03:31 PM on 01/26/2012

He definately has the right to campaign. Most Presidents in the past tried to find a little time for the peoples work. There is a sharp contrast there for Obama. What few items he managed to work in have been a

[Earfling]

10:56 AM on 01/26/2012

"I'm tired of the elite media protecting Barack Obama by attacking Republicans," he said.

it's true

[52tucker]

02:31 PM on 01/26/2012

The truth is, these Republicans have every opportunity to express their reasoning and defend their ideas from criticism, as does the President. The fact that they so often deflect any questions they don't want to answer and claim media bias doesn't make it true, it makes them unable to defend their stances with strong evidence. And it makes those who fall for their lame defense of "media bias" fools who are easily confused.

[NovemberScorp]

10:51 AM on 01/26/2012

I think the question should have been worded differently. Mr. Gingrich. You say you are the one true conservative and stand on a values platform. You and your current wife are practicing Catholics. Please explain to the American public the fact of you cheating on your wife while still married to her and wanting an open marriage falls in line with family values. Also please explain what kind of message and role model you current wife would make as First Lady when she was the one sleeping with you were still married to another woman.

I would love that type of question to be answered and then let Newtie put a spin on it.

I also applaud Brian Williams/NBC for having the audience remain silent during the past debate in Tampa. If you've ever been to a professionally run debate, the audience is silent.

[shrn]

11:51 AM on 01/26/2012

Newts explaination is hes been to God about his past sins. But he's still lying and evading questions. He must spend a lot of time on his knees.

[bigfootphd]

10:33 AM on 01/26/2012

So with the entire field of potential Republican Presidents; Conservative voters get to choose between Mr. 1%, Rockafeller Von Monocle, that can't hold a consistent opinion... and a walking ethics violation that cheats on his sick wives.

Suddenly, I'm not as disappointed being a liberal. My elected officials may not serve my best interests, but at least they're not bond villains.

[alinrodneyvil]

10:05 AM on 01/26/2012

King ought to be ashamed of himself for allowing a fatheaded bully like Newt to cower him. He needs to turn in his Press pass.

[Michael Doane]

08:12 AM on 01/26/2012

John King is lame, lame, lame. He lets his interview subjects make speeches, lie, distort, and NEVER does he come back with an informed second question. Then he sits down again and lets the Newt lecture him. Rip off his epaulets and put him in the back office.

[GerardCarouge]

06:11 AM on 01/26/2012

Mr. Gingrich has always been an unfair, wicked man and politician. Should he ever be elected, we'd have dark days ahead, both domestically and internationally.

[jerzygurl]

05:13 AM on 01/26/2012

Good going Newt. Someone has to expose these opinionated Obama cheerleaders masquerading as journalists.

[alinrodneyvil]

09:57 AM on 01/26/2012

If you ever took the time to watch John King you would know that the last thing he is an Obama supporter.

[jerzygurl]

10:10 AM on 01/26/2012

He works for CNN. Enough said. Sometimes you just have to do what managements tells you to do.

[Earfling]

11:07 AM on 01/26/2012

fanned and a favorite

[CANTHATBE]

01:22 AM on 01/26/2012

John King you blew with a weak follow up question. It only comes around a few times in your career and you F it all up. You missed your Katie Couric vs Sarah Palin moment.

[PubicOption]

11:12 PM on 01/25/2012

Old rule: when John McCain addresses you as "my friend...", you actually ain't his friend.

New rule: when Newt calls something baloney, it's actually 100% flucknig true.

[mrgq09]

09:39 PM on 01/25/2012

The funny thing is Newt was asked in this interview "how is the 'Elite Media' protecting B. Obama" and he never answered...So I'm saying John King or anyone to ask Newt how does John's question about his ex wife on and ABC story have to do with the media attacking the GOP?...I would this that's his baggage he packed not Obama's...I mean the reporters need to be reporters and ask the hard sensible questions...and when they politicians, Dem, IND and GOP that is, try to dodge refocus them to answer...I am tired of "we will leave it there"..."you decide" BS these reporters practice when reporting...we the people deserve nothing less