Buchanan: Newt Is 'Out On Left Wing Of Republican Party'

May 16th, 2011 8:13 AM

Newt Gingrich came in for some serious criticism on today's Morning Joe.  

Reacting to footage of Newt on Meet the Press alluding to Paul Ryan's health care proposal as "radical," Joe Scarborough accused Gingrich of being in "the mushy middle." Pat Buchanan came with the unkindest cut of all, saying Gingrich is "out on the left wing of the Republican party."

View video after the jump.



In the MTP clip, Newt was seen saying that while he opposes ObamaCare, he would also be against "a conservative imposing radical change" on the health care system.  He later admitted that his proposal amounts to "a variation" of the individual mandate.

Watch Joe and Pat rip Newt.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Let's first dissect what Newt said. Did he, Mark Halperin, just call Paul Ryan's health care plan "radical"?

MARK HALPERIN: He said the Republican plan went too far, and he's the first major Republican figure to not only not embrace Ryan but to repudiate Ryan.

PAT BUCHANAN: He not only distanced himself from Ryan's plan, which I understand, he repudiated it almost entirely.

SCARBOROUGH: He called it "radical."

BUCHANAN: He called it radical. He is out on, basically, he is out on the left wing of the Republican party on the most crucial economic issue besides the economy itself.

SCARBOROUGH: I've got to say, this confirms my biggest concern about Newt Gingrich over the past 15 years. That rhetorically he's far, far right. But when push comes to shove, he's in the mushy middle.