“I am not going to justify this. I am not going to explain it. ”The attack on Paul Ryan, the support for an individual mandate in healthcare?  Folks, don’t ask me to explain this. There is no explanation! What do you mean, ‘If I don’t explain it, who will?’  There is no explanation for it.

“First off, it cuts Paul Ryan off at the knees. It supports the Obama administration in the lawsuits that 26 states have filed over the mandate. I guess, what?  Back in 1993, Newt supported an individual mandate, everybody should buy insurance. I am as befuddled as anyone else is what I’m telling you.”

And being the Republican leader that he is, the talking points were sent out immediately- Rush is against Newt, so Newt must be wrong. The word spread fast, as other conservative media outlets picked up on Limbaugh’s rantings. The story got out to their audience and they too began their attacks.

At a campaign stop in Iowa, Newt was greeted by one of his republican supporters;

IOWA REPUBLICAN: What you just did to Paul Ryan is unforgivable.

GINGRICH: I didn’t do anything to Paul Ryan.

IOWA REPUBLICAN: Yes, you did. You undercut him … you’re an embarrassment to our party.

GINGRICH: I’m sorry you feel that way.

IOWA REPUBLICAN: Why don’t you get out before you make a bigger fool of yourself?

The pressure was too much for Gringrich, so like any other potential commander-in-chief, like any other potential leader of the free world, like any other man vying for the job to be the most influential person on the face of the earth – the President Of The United States – Newt Gingrich flipped-flopped and tried to tell the nation that the words from his mouth must not be taken seriously. He really didn’t mean what he said and that was his final answer! He tells Greta Van Susteren of Fox News;

So, let me say on the record: any ad which quotes what I said Sunday is a falsehood and because I have said publicly, those words were inaccurate and unfortunate. And I’m prepared to stand up — when I make a mistake and I’m going to on occasion, I want to stand up and share with the American people, that was a mistake, because that way, we can have an honest conversation.

And with his supporters behind him, their shoes up the seat of his pants, Newt offered apologies to Paul Ryan and any other unnecessary GOPers who would give him the time of day.

Nikki Haley, the powerful Republican governor in South Carolina told CNN in a telephone interview just how disappointed she was in Gingrich;

“What he said was absolutely unfortunate. 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.”

Then this -popularl syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer  suggests that Newt pack up and go home, telling Fox that Newt ”didn’t have a big chance in the beginning, but now it’s over!”

Video–just a brief look in the life of a flip-flopping Gingrich. This is Newt – The man who wants to be The Commander-in-Chief!