Yep. By asking that out loud he gave Newt the chance to totally deflate the situation. If he had not asked, then it would have been the 800 lb gorilla/elephant in the room.

Last night RM set out several very actionable ways in which King could have broached the subject — challenging Gingrinch on the hypocrisy angle among them — ways to frame the question that would have forced Noot the Hoot to confront much more substantive moral/ethical/judgement-based issues. Just asking him if he'd "like to talk about it" was as lame as it gets.

Nothing at all wrong with asking that question first. It was hot, new news and that's what gets thrown up first. Gingrich turned it around and tried to make CNN look like the bad guys and the idiots from South Carolina bought it. Gingrich said he couldn't think of anything more despicable. Umm, how about doing what the question imposed? As far as real issues...to republicans, the values/ethics is a huge one. Unless it's them violating it. Gingrich is now the values king.

There's asking a cogent question for the purpose of setting up an issue, and there's tripping flatfooted on the doorsill and doing a face plant. Bandaid, anyone?

This is an idiotic question to ask starting this forum by John King.There are more important questions to ask Newt not this nonsense.His ethic violations as one and his lobbying tactics he denied.Let us see what NBC Brian Williams ask Gingrich in Florida.

I don't disagree that maybe it should have been reserved for mid-debate, but what buring question would you ask that'd be a relevant question? Like how specifically would you as President create jobs? and then watch them all "dance" around the question and not say a damm thing !

What we need in these debates is a team of "Fact Checkers" so that within minutes the moderator can embarass the hell out of them by saying their statemnets were not factual, or half truth, or a "pants on Fire" lie. Then maybe they'd be a little more careful throw BS around to see what sticks. Noot is one of the worst.

Problem is 90% of the debate is fluff and about as showy as big time wrestling ! "and there goes Noot with a body slam to Romney..but wait his tag team partner Paul is leaping into the ring folks and he's got Noot in a spinning Iranian toe hold !"