Gingrich stars in Republican debate show

Irish Sun Friday 20th January, 2012

WASHINGTON - American reality TV was at its best when Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich tore into CNN's John King with a question about his embittered second ex-wife.

Gingrich clashed with CNN for bringing up allegations by his former wife about one of his affairs during the televised debate Thursday that was the last before the crucial South Carolina primary.

Looking stern and angry, Gingrich dismissed the allegations as "false" and said he was appalled that CNN would open with a question about the claims. He described CNN's behaviour as "despicable".

The debate had all the elements of a successful television show: colorful characters, high stakes and comforting familiarity.

Gingrich's former wife, Marianne, in an interview with ABC, claimed he had asked her for an "open marriage": staying married while conducting his affair with Callista, who went on to become his third wife. She also claimed the lovers had sex in the family home in Washington.

"I am frankly astounded that CNN would take trash like that and use it to open a presidential debate," Gingrich, 68, a former US House speaker, told King.

Mitt Romney, a multi-millionaire former private-equity executive who has said he probably pays an effective tax rate of 15 per cent, continued to be dogged by questions about his wealth and why he's refusing to release his tax returns until April -likely after the party nomination has been clinched.

"I don't know how many years I'll release," Romney said of his tax records. "I know there are some who are very anxious to see if they can't make it more difficult for a campaign to be successful. I know the Democrats want to go after the fact that I've been successful. I'm not going to apologize for being successful."

Gingrich is surging in the polls in South Carolina and is neck-and-neck with Romney after dominating the previous debate, on Monday in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Romney, who has largely tried to direct his criticisms at President Barack Obama, used the debate to target Gingrich, a former Georgia congressman, saying he had exaggerated his role in helping former President Ronald Reagan create jobs.

"I looked at the Reagan diary," Romney told Gingrich. "You're mentioned once in Ronald Reagan's diary. And in the diary, he says you had an idea in a meeting of young congressmen, and it wasn't a very good idea and he dismissed it."