Dallas (CNN) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich might not want to count on a presidential endorsement from South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
In an interview with CNN Tuesday, Haley sharply admonished Gingrich for his comments over the weekend disparaging the Medicare plan proposed by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan as "radical change" and "right-wing social engineering."
The remarks opened a floodgate of conservative criticism, with elite opinion writers on down to Iowa voters accusing Gingrich of throwing his own party under the bus and making it easier for Democrats to attack the Ryan plan.
Haley, whose promise to endorse a presidential candidate has made her a key power broker in the Republican primary fight, joined in the chorus Tuesday and said she is "terribly disappointed" in Gingrich.
"What he said was absolutely unfortunate," Haley told CNN in a phone interview. "Here you've got Representative Ryan trying to bring common sense to this world of insanity, and Newt absolutely cut him off at the knees."
"When you have a conservative fighting for real change, the last thing we need is a presidential candidate cutting him off at the knees," she added.
The controversial Ryan plan proposes replacing the current government-run Medicare program with a voucher system that would allow recipients to buy health care on the private market.
After Gingrich criticized the plan during his appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, his spokesman Rick Tyler attempted to clarify his remarks, saying there is "little daylight" between Gingrich and Ryan when it comes to Medicare reform.
"Newt would fully support Ryan if it were not compulsory," Tyler told the Weekly Standard. "We need to design a better system that people will voluntarily move to. That is a major difference in design but not substance."
Asked if presidential hopefuls should back the Ryan budget plan in its entirety, Haley answered: "What I can tell you is, the people of South Carolina support Representative Ryan. The people of South Carolina support conservatives who are trying to push real change, and the people of South Carolina expect their presidential candidates to back them up when they show courage."
From CNN Politics
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The reaction of the Right Wing to Newt Ginrich's comments is very telling. There is no room for divergent opinion in today's Republican Party. You must follow the Party line dictated by the Tea Party and talk radio. There isn't much I agree with Mr. Ginrich on, but he has a right to suggest another approach. Rep. Ryan's proposal is going nowhere anyway.
bunch of idiots...newt included!
this lady idiot needs to quit....GOP is hostile of Medicare, don't you know??????? If not what is Paul Ryan's plan, stupid....do you think people are dumb.....idiotic woman of SC pathetic how she got elected, who the idiot voted...just vote her out.....possible in democracy....
The GOP is not friendly to seniors. Period.
Everybody knows newt didn't REALLY say what we heard him say on Sunday; it was the liberal press that twisted his words.
"When you have a conservative fighting for real change, the last thing we need is a presidential candidate cutting him off at the knees," she added."
The irony of cutting an entire political party off at the knees escapes these TeaPers who seem more comfortable spouting bumber sticker nonsense than actually trying to govern all of America - and not just their little click of 20%ers, yes?
Really? The people of South Carolina support Paul Ryan who want to cut food stamps, medicaid for the poor, medicare for the seniors and education assistance for students? Really? You are out of touch with your own people you say you are governing. Diisgusting Nikki. Why don't people vote all these republicans out of office?
newt is really a Chameleon; he can be whatever you want him to be. Except honest.
It's a sad day on earth when a woman and a mother has no empathy for the less unfortunate, seniors, children and the disabled, who need health care. But but then again Ms. Haley is fortunate to never have seen poverty in the World.
Many will say newt cannot be elected. You overestimate the repug voters. newt has BIG money behind him; the repug choices are not so good; and newt is a fast talker. Just don't listen too deeply or you will see that his big words makes no sense. He's a lot like the donald.
Now that all these other Republicans are coming out against old Newtie-boy, and that Charles Krautheimer has started to come out against him, I am reconsidering about switching to the Republican party in time for the primaries to vote for Newt to tweak their noses. The rest of these mooks are so stuck in their supposedly Reagan-Conservative ideology that they will not accept the reality of political compromise to accomplish what they need to.
Of course, after he got my vote, I would go back to town hall the next day and change back to Democratic membership.
The Republican Circus is so much fun!
rep. Paul plan is exactly what Newt called it, the truth is the truth. Rep. Pauls plan would hurt those who will need care as they age because insurance companies will not cover the cost to cover the elderly because of profits. We know republicans will allow insurance companies to drop those get ill from coverage or raise the cost so much that people will have to choose between eating and healthcare. Republicans are all about profits not people.
Haley needs to sink like South Carolina. Talk about people voting against themselves!
Haley is protecting the rich private health insurance companies,.. she's another robot bowing to the false gods of lobbydom. I'm no fan of Gingrich,.. but any dummy can see the flaws of Ryan's radical proposal.
Political parties are starting to act more like the MOB. You step out of line and wack, your done. Our political systems says we can only chose from people who have been loyal to their party –even if they know the party principles don't support what is in the best interest of the people.
Free market is great, but let's not pretend it does not have its failures. Giving people vouchers is not going to lower healthcare cost, it just means people will go where they can get "just-keep me alive" insurance. We need more attention towards preventive care or monitoring before things get to that no-return point.
Like she implies,....if you are going to run under the GOP you had better learn the speech and stick to the script!
The GOP has no room for independant thinking.
Ignore the little man behind the curtain,...the Great OZ has spoken.
I live in SC and this and this ditzy B doesn’t represent me!
While ideologically I don't agree with either of these two, but if Nikki Haley represents the intellectual future of the Republican Party...compared to the smarts of Newt Gingrich....then, the Republicans can "turn off the lights, the paty's over."
Your wrong Haley the seniors do not want Ryan's plan to cut medicare and medicaid. Just have a town meeting to find out? What are against seniors? Leave Medicare and Medicaid ALONE!
So the Republicans won't get behind anyone who won't cut Medicare? LOL. That's going to work out great.
Chomp, chomp, chomp .. . that's what a TeaPe'er sounds like when they have a little newt for supper. Hee-hee-hee . . . that's the sound of me lovin' it! Thanks again Tea Party for destroying the Republican party. We Democrats FULLY support you in your quest to pillage and burn your own!
I don't know, but I think Gringrich TRIED TO SAVE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. NOBODY LIKE THE RYAN PLAN.
There is something in the water in Wisconsin.
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You mean force. Force recipients to buy health care on the private market, while giving them less and less money to do so.
"The people of South Carolina" support the Ryan plan!?!? No Gov Haley, YOUR people support the plan. The people that are actually paying attention and/or depend on medicaid/medicare do NOT support the Ryan plan (or lack thereof). "The people of South Carolina" are NOT a collective Gov Haley so clarify your statement. You SHOULD say that "the Tea Party of South Carolina, those that that do not keep themselves informed on the issues, and people that do not depend of social services support the Ryan Plan."
I tire of all politicians, like Governor Haley, bolstering their positions by making it seem as if they are the one true voice of their constituents. "the people of South Carolina" are no more homogeneous than any group of citizens. Maybe Haley likes all that Ryan stands for, but she is practicing self-delusion if she thinks that all of the citizens of her state are of one mind. It's rhetorical nonsense.
I wish Gingrich to go away now! He's done!
Ryan's proposal has no chance of passing the Senate OR being signed into law so they should move on to a more responsible bi-partisan approach. This can be said about immigration, energy, and even healthcare...until this hyperpartisan environment dies down nothing either party solely puts forward will be passed. The GOP is still planning their assault on Obama and all he stands for while he is ACTUALLY trying to help the people who need it. This country needs to wake up and FAST
If we were to replace medicare with private insurance, their premiums probably would be $5000.00 a month. The private market is run on profit and greed.
The S.C people should be "Outraged" at their Gov. It seems as though all the "Poverty Stricken" in S.C. would "Wise-Up to Reality! These people have been suffering for decades under Gop Rule? What are they thinking? Ya All better think at the polls???? Because you have,nt seen nothing yet,if you keep voting against yourselves?
How arrogant of Governer Haley to say "the people of South Carolina support Representative Ryan"? Really, has she asked all of them? Do polls say that 100% of South Carolinans support Rep. Ryan? I doubt it. She should speak for herself and her administration, not the entirety of the citizenship of her state.
Oops, Newt told people the truth!
An unfortunate accident, and one I'm sure he won't repeat.
Newt to liberal to get elected as a republican! Say it not so. Don't feel bad Newt, these people that love to talk about the party of Reagen would not vote for him either.
So I guess there is no room for compassion in the GOP anymore. Ryan's plan is going nowhere. Newt was careful in his words but acted stupidly by stirring up the Teaple. Is there not one electable person on the right? Ron Paul is looking better, but he's a freak. Obama going to have a cakewalk to a second term.
And they eat their wounded too!!!
Keep moving to the right and to insignificance.
This is priceless. LAMO
@Tim: "....no room for divergent opinion in today's Republican Party". How right you are!!!!!! .."very telling" indeed.
Now, let me get this straight...the new spokesperson for the new Republican Party is the governor of South Carolina? You're kidding me, right? Nikki Haley? That's it? That's all they got?
For those of you that don't follow South Carolina politics, Nikki Haley is Sanford reborn and a whole lot worse. She ran on transparency and family values. So far no transparency, many lies and coverups of her pre and post Governor activities. Reports of, and soon to be documented affairs, personal tax fraud and the largest budget in SC history because of her cronies. Why would anyone take this woman seriously?
way to dogpile on ol' Newtie there GOP. I guess Sarah Palin will either tweet or post something on her Facebook about it next. Though if this were Obama she would have done that by now. But if these right wingers just wait Newt more than likely will flip-flop on this like he has done on Cap and Trade, Libya, and just did on the Healthcare mandate.
The Tea Party thrives on hyperbole. I'm pretty sure that there's a significant number of people in South Carolina who hate Ryan's plan.
I am an independent/Democrat and I agree with Governor Haley. Representative Ryan has shown to think outside the box and he is not afraid to present unpopular ideas (just as President Obama has). He does not take part in that horrible hateful rhetoric. This tells me that he is more interested in taking care of the country’s business than getting re-elected. Both parties could learn a lot from this gentleman. He has earned my respect.
No room in the republican party ! Sound more like the Democrat party, absolutely no room there
toe the line or they will tie you to the whipping post
"Of course, after he got my vote, I would go back to town hall the next day and change back to Democratic membership"
anything to deny folks their freedom, am sure while you are there you will be sure to get your handouts
What he said was absolutely unfortunate," Haley told CNN in a phone interview. "Here you've got Representative Ryan trying to bring common sense to this world of insanity, and Newt absolutely cut him off at the knees."
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Nikki!!!! You 'govern' one of the poorest states in the Union, and you're trying to tell your people and the rest of us that getting rid of the only access your folks have to medical system and their meds is COMMON SENSICAL?
What is truly insane is how you have taken complete leave of your senses by saying something like this with a straight face while looking into the camera like a deer caught in the headlights.
Your Party has lost it's collective mind in their pursuit of power at all cost,and you have joined them.
The GOP is not friendly to seniors. Period.
=================================
What a joke. Are the Democrats that have NO PLAN to address either Social Security OR Medicare to keep it solvent "friendly to seniors"? Will their inaction and ultimate failure of these programs (or the bankruptcy of the US) be classified as "friendly"?
The bottom line is that given ever increasing medical costs and a large aging population that is living longer and longer, the Democrats grand scheme for social security and medicare is simply unsustainable. The world and reality has changed since these programs were started. If they are not changed to keep up with the times, THEY WILL COLLAPSE or the US will collapse trying to fund them.
This is why large federal government programs are always doomed to fail. People get suckered into beleiving they can have everything for practically nothing by the politicans that lie and kick the financial can down the road. Well, eventually reality comes into play when you run out of road to kick the can down. We have now reached that point.
Realizing that they are completely devoid of intelligent ideas, and presidential nominees the Republican Party has turned to cannibalism.
Wow – the misinformation being exhibited in these comments is really something. In between the 'GOP hates seniors' to "forcing people to but insurance on the open market" I wonder if these commentators actually bothered to read Ryan's proposal or if they are aware of the catastrophic shortcomings of the current system. Instead of chanting the tiresome liberal talking points, they should take a couple of hours to educate themselves. If they still feel the same way, fine, but at least base it on something real.
To the commentator who said that Obama is really trying to help people I say that he is only trying to help himself. His divisive rhetoric works – just read the comments – but is incredibly harmful to the nation.
Though am not a fun of Gingrich but the man was speaking his mind and what he believes in. Whats wrong with that?? Also people of same Party attacking each other openly, doesn't impress me.
"Haley, whose promise to endorse a presidential candidate has made her a KEY POWER BROKER in the Republican primary fight....."
Big mistake by the Republicans
Gingrich has shown his true colors. In Newt's world it's all black and white , depending on what day it is !
I find it funny when Newt name drops failed Texas " log cabin " Governor Rick Perry as a economic visionary ,
Gingrich / Perry 2012 Two angry Men !
Someone needs to remind Gov. Haley that Newt is pretty much sticking to statements and policy agendas he had when she was still in high school. As much as he flip-flops and rides the prevailing wind, he knows he cannot run from his past on the health insurance mandate that he (and most of the senior GOP members of Congress) supported in the 1990s.
Yassir, fight among yourselves you republicans and make it easy for Obama and the democrats to win the next election. Let's see, who can the republicans pick a fight with next, Pawlenty, Romney, etc? Let the fights begin.... I enjoy watching them tear each other apart. Go at it boys!
And then there were none.......
I'm wondering who Newt is gonna apologise to now that the GOP-Tea Party are eating one of their own....Rush Limbaugh or this Indian woman who is a Gov. of SC?
If anyone took the time to read Paul Ryan's plan , they would see it in a very destructive light . Now what I don't understand about his plan is that it put's all the weight on people who can't afford to pay but at the same time does not ask for the wealthiest of Americans to contribute to his plan . Everyone needs to understand that the republican way is the wrong way for this country and if your poor , elderly and middle -class , you would be an idiot to support Ryan's plan or republicans for that matter because they are creating a class warfare that will make people like you and me the loser's !!!
Gingrich was actually telling the truth for once.I don't know why he would turn aside from the GOP's "Final Solution" of driving 98% of America into the poorhouse, but he was right on the money this time.
Of COURSE the TP is upset.
A gaff in Washington is when someone accidentally tells the truth.
Governor Haley is living in a conservative backwater in South Carolina.
The rest of the country believes that Congressman Ryan should be arrested for attempting to gut Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security. And, I believe the Republicans will be thrown out of the House and Senate in record numbers in the election of 2012; and they have no hope of taking the White House.
Governor Haley will probably be re-elected at the end of her current term, but only because of where she is.
Who told Haley that she can speak for the people of South Carolina?
She is not speaking for me. She has not paid her taxes in years and therefore should shut up
Nikki Haley and paul Ryan both have their heads so far in the Sand that they have no idea what the Middle or lower class want or need.
I think they both have made the Kool Aid and have it all stirred up and are planning to drink at any time.
WAKE UP you Republicans that put these people in Office thinking that they would care anything about you.
All Republicans seem to care about is BIG Business and Campaign donations.
No, they certainly shouldn't let anybody voice his or her own oipinion. If they're going to win the election, they ALL have to goose-step together! I'm not a Newt Gingrich fan – in fact, I think he's about as close to insane as any cnadidate can get. But, this whole scenario is sooooo typical of the party of NO. They don't focus on what would be right for the country, they focus on attacking the current polices in unison – regardless of the merits of the argument. They have already lost the election.
@ rhumba "I'm pretty sure that there's a significant number of people in South Carolina who hate Ryan's plan."
Agreed! Newt's an idiot for even commenting/providing analysis on Ryan's plan......and Haley's an idiot for not knowing enough about her constituency to realize that many of them MUST rely on Medicare......and Medicaid.
Actually.....these nut jobs deserve each other!