VAN SUSTEREN: Well, you mentioned the negative ads. And I don’t know if you were watching Sean Hannity’s show a little — a few minutes ago. They did text voting on it. And it actually was — they said — they asked which candidate was running the most negative ads, and Governor Romney did win that contest, one he probably didn’t want to win, at 57 percent.
So I think that, you know, people — although, you know, they may say that he runs the most negative ads, but they still vote for them because negative ads are very effective.
GINGRICH: Well, they’re not — they’re not actually voting for him. I think, for example, in Maine, which is a New England state he ought to be doing good in, he got 39 percent. I think you’re going to find in his home state of Michigan, as you pointed out, Santorum’s now ahead of him.
People are looking for a positive leader who has a positive solution on jobs, a positive solution on gasoline and energy, and frankly, somebody who’s going to stand up to the Obama administration’s war against Christianity and is going to draw a line in the sand and say, We’re prepared to fight to defend religious freedom in America against a radical secular administration.
So I think you have — you have three or four different things coming together here, where people want positive, issue-orientated leadership. They don’t just want somebody with a deep pocket of Wall Street money running negative ads.
VAN SUSTEREN: All right, you mentioned gasoline. Since the end of 2011, the price of gasoline has gone up 8 percent. And the rise of gasoline prices doesn’t hurt the rich. They can pay it. But it really does — it really does pinch the middle class and the — and people who don’t make — who are even below the middle class line. And it can put a thumb on the economy.
If you are President of the United States tonight, what would you be doing about gas policy? And when would those prices come down?
GINGRICH: Well, gasoline was a $1.13 a gallon when I was speaker. It was $1.89 when Obama was sworn in. It is in California above $4 today in some places.
The fact is, one, I’d sign the Keystone pipeline immediately to start Canadian oil moving south into the United States. Two, I’d open up offshore development both off, for example, the Gulf of Mexico, but also in the Chukchi Sea in Alaska.
Three, I would open up federal lands. The one great breakthrough has been North Dakota, and the reason is it’s on private land, and the liberals have not been able to stop it. If we allowed federal land to be developed, we would have a shocking amount of energy. We would, in fact, rapidly become independent of the Middle East. No American president would ever again bow to a Saudi king. And we’d get — we’d get gasoline prices back down to $2 or $2.50
VAN SUSTEREN: All right, one last quick question. We only have a minute left, the accommodation that the president suggested to try to cure this problem, this rift he’s having with the Catholic church on contraception and the health care bill. I assume that you side with the Catholic church on this. IO don’t — I mean, that’s my assumption. But is there any way to sort of reconcile this, to work this out between the two?
GINGRICH: ... there’s a very straight question here. Does the government of the United States have the right to overrule a religious organization on how it deals with its religious circumstances? Can the government of the United States dictate, whether it’s an Episcopal church, a Baptist church, a Jewish synagogue, a Catholic church, a Greek Orthodox church — does the government have the right to dictate to churches?
Those of us who believe in America believe we were founded by people who were fleeing religious persecution to come to America. We think what Barack Obama’s doing is the most secular anti-religious bigotry that we’ve ever seen in a president. And I think it’s not bridgeable. He’s got to back down totally and concede that no government can come between man and God.
Yep! We were told time and again how Rick Perry was going to roar back into contention and whaddayaknow.. it happened!!
...oh, wait..
This is disingenuous. The only device that is propelling Newt Gingrich is Sheldon Adelson’s dollars. Adelson, an avowed fiscal conservative and social liberal, is intent upon derailing Santorum because he does not share Santorum’s social conservative philosophy. Adelson is much more comfortable with Gingrich, and in a recent Wall Street Journal article was reported to have had a “warm” meeting with Mittens. Adelson wouldn’t mind seeing Romney as the nominee. So again the liberals are trying mightily to purchase the most socially liberal candidate they can find. It’s spoiler politics all over again with voters who are beginning to surge for Santorum (precisely because he is socially conservative) as the targeted enemy. Adelson has a net worth of $21 billion. BILLION. What is it about big money American Jews always ending up as bleeding heart liberals despising conservative principles? The irony here is Adelson actually supports conservatives in the Israeli government, and even owns a newspaper there.
Newt has a 63% unfavorable rating. Comeback? nope
Unfortunately, when someone spends millions trashing their opponent, it’s very hard for that opponent to make a comeback. Looks like Santorum will be the next beneficiary of Romney’s millions hurled at him. I know that’s how the game is played, but this isn’t supposed to be a “the one with the most money wins” type of contest. Wish they would just stick to the issues.
I like Gingrich, I really do. I think he would make a great President.
But ENOUGH!!!!
We need ONE anti-Romney conservative in the primary fight, not half a dozen, or they will spilt our votes and Romney will win the primary.
I hope Gingrich steps down and out and support Santorum at this time.
If the roles were reveresed, I would say the same thing about Santorum.
The more GOP candidates cut each other up, the HIGHER the Obamabastard’s ratings go!!!
I say if he hasn’t won another primary by the end of the month Newt will drop out and endorse Santorum. At this point I think he’d rather stop Romney above all other priorities.
Rickie Sanitarium is the Alren Spector stalking horse for the ultimate V.P. candidate for Romulus the flip flopper.
So with Rickie as V.P.ol' Rom can get the so called social conservatives on board and sweep to victory.(uh-huh).
After all the fake Conservatives at CPAC just loved Romulus' used car salesman's shtick.Suckers down to the last man standing.
I supported Santorum right after Cain dropped out, but even I can see that he has received pretty much a free ride
IF Santorum wins the nomination and IF he miraculously wins the election, he will owe everything to Newt for taking every arrow, post-Cain, that the left and the GOP had in their quivers...