Interview: Newt Gingrich

By: Corbett B. Daly
Topics: Campaign 2012

In an interview on CBS' "The Early Show" on Friday, Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich slammed the "elite" national media for distorting what he said about blacks and food stamps.

"You guys have distorted what I said," Newt said on CBS' "The Early Show" Friday.

CBS and other outlets reported Thursday that Gingrich said that if were invited to speak to the NAACP, he would tell the civil rights group "why the African-American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps."

On "The Early Show," Gingrich said he wants a better future for all Americans.

"What I said was every American of every background has been endowed by their creator with a right to pursue happiness. Every American of every background should have an opportunity to get a job, not be dependent on food stamps. Every American of every background should be able to go to a school that actually works where they get educated," Gingrich said

More Hotsheet coverage of the interview: Gingrich slams media for distorting his comments on food stamps

Watch the interview below:

Corbett B. Daly
Corbett B. Daly is CBSNews.com's deputy politics editor.
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by slownewsday2012 January 6, 2012 10:29 AM EST

by RobAla January 6, 2012 10:11 AM EST
dtschuck: Gingrich has had his faults, but I have never know racism to be one them

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Did you read the article?

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by RobAla January 6, 2012 11:03 AM EST: Slownewsday2012: Yep, I read the article and this is what Gingrich said:

"I'm prepared, if the NAACP invites me, I'll go to their convention and talk about why the African American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps," Gingrich said.

I was not present in the room, and I do not know what else was said. Based on those words, it seems that Gingrich was stating what he has been stating. It is much better for an American (whatever color) to have a job than to be dependent on the federal government for food stamps. Gingrich has been blasting the policies coming out of Washington for not creating an environment where private sector jobs can grow.

I grew up in the south, and I am old enough to remember REAL racism. I remember my father borrowing a gun from a friend so that he could help protect a black family from racist whites who were trying to drive them off their property. I know racism when I see it. Alabama has come a long way over a half century, regarding racism. I think CBS is trying to paint a picture that is not there. Whether they are trying to paint it for political reasons or whether they are trying to increase viewership through creating a story - you can decide for yourself.

If I hear more from Gingrich that causes me to change my mind, then I will. I do know that the media tried to paint the Tea Party as a racist group - the same Tea Party that supported Herman Cane. I don't like the race card being played, and if we throw the term "racist" around when it doesn't really apply - then we cheapen the horrible practice of REAL racism. The race card is being thrown around way too much.


by slownewsday2012 January 6, 2012 11:24 AM EST: It's hard to escape the racism here in TN. I know you must see in in AL. And its non-partisan.


by sandy 1027 January 6, 2012 10:06 AM EST: This is a pattern with Gingrich.Statistically, more white people receive food stamps than black people, but he constantly promotes the racial stereotype that most food stamp recipients are black; and he , derogatorily ,refers to President Obama, the first African-American president, as "The food stamp president"to propagate the idea that the president, a black man, is giving a record number of handouts to black people, who are lazy; and that he would end that by becoming "the paycheck president".There is no mistake about what is being said here, and why.These are bigoted comments, that are usually made before predominantly white audiences,and designed to pander to the right for votes.

The reason that we have a large number of people receiving aid is the fact that our economy had been the worse since the Depression ( and the president didn't create this problem, as Gingrich says, but it is the fallout from the previous administration, and in reality, some of it was in the making for decades).Even food pantries have seen an uptick in the number of people who have needed assistance; and most of them are proud, hard-working people( of all races)who are embarrassed to be there, but have needed help in feeding their families.

In reality, the president has been criticized by some in his base because he has NOT shown more favoritism, but has tried to take an even-handed approach.Gingrich's tone and comments are inflammatory, divisive, and unpresidential.; Reply to this comment

by disgusted250 January 6, 2012 9:37 AM EST

I was so disgusted at the look on the woman reporters face and the tone of her voice. She almost looked like she was laughing at Newt and I think no matter whether you agree with someone or not as a reporter of news you should have a poker face and treat who you are interviewing with respect. I dont think she did with her condescending tone and smug look, and so my opinion of her as a reporter, and the Early Show as a news program is not very high. I may watch again (as I like to listen to something as I get ready for work) but I wont put much stock in what is said on this show!

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by RobAla January 6, 2012 9:47 AM EST: CBS has 3 different articles on this, and it is obvious that the network is trying to slam Gingrich and twist what he said. What he said was below:

"I'm prepared, if the NAACP invites me, I'll go to their convention and talk about why the African American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps," Gingrich said.

Come on! The vast majority of the NAACP is made up of black Americans. Should he addressed them as Asian Americans. He wasn't implying that all American blacks are on food stamps. The NAACP is a group that normally is in favor of huge federal assistance programs. What the man was stating is that it is far better for people to have jobs than to have to be on food stamps. We should be concerned over why the US has not yet come out of this economic slump yet. People need jobs, so that there is not need for food stamps. That was the point, and CBS is trying to make this a racial thing.


by dtschuck January 6, 2012 9:57 AM EST: RobAla, RobAla, RobAla. Stop taking things out of context. Things can be taken out of context both to attack, and defense a person....you chose the latter.

If you look at the context of what Newt was saying, it was not about whether the NAACP is mostly composed of black people. No, he was talking about, stereotyping, really, about people that are dependent on the government.....and of course, Blacks came immediately to mind for Newt, and he used the NAACP to offer up his challenge.

Newt is a despicalbe racists, but then that doesn't really make him stand out from the GOP candidate crowd, does it?

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by starving1968-3 January 6, 2012 9:16 AM EST: by LiberalsAreLeeches January 6, 2012 9:00 AM EST
Don't slam the media because it's not their fault that they're controlled by Socialist Obama and the Communist Party. They have to do what they're told or they'll be black balled by the Communist Party. On top of that, the NAACP will call the media racist and play the race card.

Childish nonsense.

Why even bother posting?; Reply to this comment

by luadda22 January 6, 2012 9:15 AM EST

by thebob-bob January 6, 2012 8:24 AM EST
What is it with this fat white boys from South (I'm not being negative, just telling the Truth)?? More whites are on food stamps than blacks.
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Not negative??? Yeh, right. While technically and by pure numbers, there are more whites on food stamps (because there are 6.5 times more whites). When broken down demographically, almost 33% of black are on food stamps compaired to around only 13% of whites. To take your premise one step further, the top 1% pay an excessive amount of money in taxes because they pay more in dollars than anyone else.

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by starving1968-3 January 6, 2012 9:33 AM EST: So why didn't he say that he wants to get EVERYONE off of food stamps, instead of just saying "blacks"?

It's okay for whites to receive them?


by starving1968-3 January 6, 2012 9:06 AM EST: They played the tape of him saying his words, and that's "distorting his comments".

Hey Newt, why don't you call the Secret Service and tell them that you want to kill Obama. When they come and pick you up, tell them that they're "distorting your comments" and let us know how that works out for you.; Reply to this comment


by mick7744 January 6, 2012 9:01 AM EST: Newt is always accusing his critics of having an ax to grind...a pretty easy thing to do when you are so universally despised...; Reply to this comment


by Blackandtandog January 6, 2012 8:58 AM EST: Most definitely not presidential material. In fact just a tired political hack.; Reply to this comment

by Tman1609 January 6, 2012 8:56 AM EST

People have a hard time when the truth is put before them, especially when they have been lied to by the present administration and the liberal news media, present company included. Newt is certainly not perfect, but he is truthful. I will back him because of that alone. There is absolutely no truth in the present administration or Mitt Romney. both of their religions dictate that they are perpetual liars (Islam and Mormon). In Islam it is okay to lie if it furthers Islam, hence Obama saying that he is a Christian, yet without the conviction that a true Christian has for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Mormonism is an out right lie in that they hold up Jesus Christ as their Savior, yet they believe that they will be a god like the One True God, that God had another god over Him, just like He is over us. Al lies. Look unto the truth and the truth will set you free from the liberal agenda.

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by slownewsday2012 January 6, 2012 10:30 AM EST: You , my friend, are completely NUTS.


by maiingan January 6, 2012 8:54 AM EST: There's more than one thing that's preposterous about what Gingrich is saying. 1: That having a job automatically makes a person ineligible for Food Stamps. The last job I had was, by the nature of its industry context, seasonal, about half the days during the season, and only 5-6 hours on an average day, as well as not much above minimum wage after the 1st season. So I was eligible for Food Stamps while I worked at that job. Thousands all over the country do similar jobs and are similarly impoverished. 2: Food Stamps takes the place of a paycheck for one's basic survival needs. NOT. They just buy food. They don't pay the rent or the phone bill or mass-transit commuting costs. Some States do offer cash benefits in the overall program, but many people aren't eligible for these, just the food benefit. 3: All the most job-needy Americans live in "the poorest communities." NOT. To restrict job aid to "the poorest communities" is a form of discrimination. At least when you apply for Food Stamps, there's an application form you put your personal information on; it doesn't matter where you live, and the government response has your name on it. I have to fault all the politicians for proposing only trickle-down job-creation plans, which try to "encourage" employers but have no place for the unemployed to put our names and resumes on a list, and get individual connections to suitable jobs. The frontier is closed and we're all stuck in this money economy, so we all need to be able to secure a source of earned income that's adequate.; Reply to this comment