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Gingrich Lashes Out Over Ex-Wife’s Interview, Open Marriage Claims

Oy vey…it should not be surprising that Newt Gingrich has decided to attack the media for his personal moral failings. Gingrich, and most Republicans, cannot stand the fact that they are being held accountable for their rhetoric. Many Republicans, including Gingrich, love to live under the motto “Do as I say not as I do”. Thus, it is perfectly alright for Gingrich to ignore what was once called Middle Class morality, but not alright for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans people, and anyone who is not willing to ignore morality and hide away their lives.

In tonight’s Republican debate held by CNN- only the fiftieth or sixtieth so far this cycle- Gingrich attacked the media for reporting on what his ex-wife Marianne Gingrich had to say.

The Huffington Post reported that the exchange went like this:

“Would you like to take some time to respond to that?” asked King.

“No, but I will,” responded Gingrich, receiving loud, sustained applause from the audience.

“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. And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that,” he said.

The audience gave Gingrich a standing ovation.

When King asked if he was finished, Gingrich said he would like to be allowed to continue:

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.

“John, it was repeated by your network,” replied Gingrich. “You chose to start the debate with it. Don’t try to blame somebody else. You and your staff chose to start the debate with it. … Let me be quite clear. The story is false. Every personal friend I have who knew us in that period says the story was false. We offered several of them to ABC to prove it was false. They weren’t interested because they would like to attack any Republican. They’re attacking the governor [Mitt Romney]. They’re attacking me. I’m sure they’ll get around to Sen. Santorum and Congressman Paul. I’m tired of the elite media protecting Barack Obama by attacking Republicans.”

Republicans are always surprised by the fact that the Democrats are given a free pass on the issue of sexual infidelity. Of course, the Democrats are not the ones demanding that women stay married while their husbands wander off to places like Argentina. It should not be surprising, though, that Gingrich, who has been divorced twice, has been willing to ignore questions about his morality…and it is not surprising that the Republican base is going to ignore them as well.