Newt Gingrich After His Appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation" |
May 22, 2011--Republican
presidential candidate Newt Gingrich answered reporters questions after
an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation." Host Bob Schieffer
focused the first part of the interview to clarifying the remarks
Gingrich made about Paul Ryan's Medicare proposal on NBC News' "Meet
the Press" last weekend, remarks which prompted a firestorm among
conservatives. Gingrich explained, "...we Republicans have to go to the country, we have to explain what we’re trying to accomplish to save Medicare, how we would save Medicare. The country has to have time, the American people have to have time to ask us questions, to modify the plan if necessary, to get to a point where people are comfortable with it and that was my point. I-- I probably used unfortunate language about social engineering. But my point was really a larger one that neither party should impose on the American people something that they are deeply opposed to." Schieffer also asked Gingrich about a Tiffany's account that his wife disclosed about five years ago. Gingrich responded, "I am debt-free. If the U.S. government was debt-free as I am, everybody in America would be celebrating." |
On hand were Gingrich aides
spokesman Rick Tyler (not shown), senior advisor Sam Dawson (above) and
campaign manager Rob Johnson (below). |