Gingrich: Ron Paul's base is "people who want to legalize drugs"

Newt Gingrich greets local residents after speaking at the Willow Ridge Golf Course, Dec. 15, 2011, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

/ AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Despite his mantra to stay "positive," Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich took a swipe at rival Ron Paul on Thursday, suggesting that the Texas congressman's political base consists of "people who want to legalize drugs."

During a radio interview with conservative commentator John McCaslin, the former House speaker also said Paul is naive about the war on terrorism and Iran's nuclear program. "This is a guy who basically says, if the United States were only nice, it wouldn't have had 9/11. He doesn't want to blame the bad guys. ... He dismisses the danger of Iranian nuclear weapon and seems to be indifferent to the idea that Israel could be wiped out. And as I said, I think the key to his volunteer base is people who want to legalize drugs."

Paul has grown in strength in recent polls in Iowa and is threatening Gingrich's ability to merge from the state's Jan. 3 GOP caucuses as the clear-cut conservative alternative to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Both Paul and Romney have unleashed a barrage of negative ads against Gingrich in the first caucus state, prompting Gingrich to challenge Romney to go one-on-one with him in a debate.

"I'm happy taking the heat, why doesn't he join me in the kitchen?" Gingrich said on Fox News late Wednesday, referring to Romney's quip that his rival should get out of the kitchen if he can't stand the heat of critical ads. Gingrich called on Romney to join him for a 90-minute debate, a shorter engagement than the three-hour "Lincoln-Douglas" style debates he has touted for several weeks now.

Gingrich said Romney should call an end to the negative ad campaign being financed by a super PAC that supports his candidacy. Romney has said he has no control over the PAC, which under law must be separate from his campaign.

"This is Romney's former staff running a PAC being funded by Romney's millionaire friends," Gingrich told interviewer Greta Van Susteren. "He could turn them around in two hours and announce that he's look at the ads, he's found them to be unacceptable and he wants to run a positive campaign. These ads are destructive and irresponsible."

In the radio interview Thursday, Gingrich was once again forced to confront questions about the $1.6 million he collected doing what he describes as consulting work for the mortgage giant Freddie Mac. He has defended the work in the past as a non-lobbying role in which he provided key strategic advice to the quasi-governmental mortgage entity. Taking a different tack on Thursday, Gingrich sought to downplay the amount of money that actually made it into his pocket.

" ... The money went to a company that had offices in three cities," he said. "The amount that came to me was very tiny. I thought it was a legitimate service to a legitimate company."

Full CBS News coverage: Newt Gingrich

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Newt Gingrich on the campaign trail

[egoomega]

if any of this slander were true, wouldnt it have been used to crush ron paul like a bug years ago?

the timing is impeccable. as if they are scared of him winning. i love seeing cowards shake in their boots and resort to deceitful tactics. forget about honesty or caring what is best for the people. they will do anything to not lose their precious power and wealthy positions. even if it means deception. that is what is just plain sad, and unfortunately they fail to realize it is why there is a large group of younger americans who want corrupt people like that out of office.

[martyblueyes]

and Newt Gingrich's base are people who love war and corruption. When I smoke a joint, Mr. Gingrich, who am I hurting? When you take away my freedom, who are you hurting?

[MRMOMROB]

newt will say anything to bring his campaign back from the dead

[SFHL44]

You may like my video about Newt's three marriages at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQSsMRe6BJE
There are chickens in it. Everybody loves chickens!

[WhiteShoeBoy]

Newt Gingrich is a 20th Century Baron Harkonen. If you don't know who that is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWq15lDh8yM

[somewhereinus]

Well, sorry Newt, but the fact is that the criminalization of marijuana usage, and other drugs for that matter, does not make it more addictive. As a person who helps people deal with addictive issues, be it overeating, drugs, alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine the real issue is not their ability to access food, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs or coffee. Its their lack of responsibility for themselves, and that is something that our BIG government has unfortunately been teaching ALL Americans to involve themselves with... the lack of responsibility. Ron Paul promotes Americans re-claiming their lives, their liberty,their pursuit of happiness; by taking responsibility for themselves! Teaching people to live off food stamps, and other welfare traps, is the main reason we find ourselves in this predicament today! GO RON PAUL! EDUCATE AMERICA! Big government already knows, and would like to keep them ignorant so they can live off the backs of every one of us!

[adplatt126]

Ron Paul's press team released this response: Newt's physical base is a gelatinous combination of crystal meth and Swedish fish. His moral base is a vacuous combination of ether and air. And his voter base is a fraudulent combination of fabricated Fox News polls, and Freddie Mac employees.

[kevin_hunt]

Do you think Newt was "cooked" in the Swedish Chef's Kitchen?

[chrislynch1972]

Newt, you're an idiot, and the white Obama.

[JulianAlien]

First of all ending the Federal war on drugs does not make any drugs legal except those states that allow medical marijuana for patients.States should have the right to enforce their own laws without interference from the federal government as long as those laws are constitutional.Hollow attack Grinch.

[JthompsonUSMC]

Wrong, Newt swiped at Ron Paul supporters. I am a Marine. Thank you for your support of me Newt...


(that was sarcasm)

Ron Paul 2012