Gingrich Late to Respond to Voter Calling Obama a Muslim - East Idaho News
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Gingrich Late to Respond to Voter Calling Obama a Muslim

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GETTY P 051811 NewtGingrich?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1332426838420Jessica McGowan/Getty Images(LAKE CHARLES, La.) — Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, asked to explain Wednesday why he did not correct a voter who called President Obama a Muslim during a question and answer session, said that it’s not his job to police what voters say.

While asking a question about the economy, Bob Nolan of Lake Charles, La., told Gingrich that he believes the president is a Muslim and a student of Saul Alinsky.

“And I believe that it’s his policy to bring this country to its knees and ruin the United States of America.  Your comment?” Nolan said.

One man in the audience shouted, “I believe that too,” with a few audible claps in the room.

Gingrich responded by saying that he believes the president prefers power to prosperity and policies that centralize the government, but also affirmed to Nolan that he believed Obama is radical.

“If the price of that is that we’re poorer and we have fewer jobs and that we have less energy, that’s fine with him.  It’s a price he’ll pay,” Gingrich said.  “I agree with you about Alinsky.  I think he’s driven by a radicalism to remake America and he doesn’t frankly care what level of pain it costs the rest of us.”

In an appearance on On the Record with Gretta Van Susteren, Gingrich was asked why he didn’t correct the man.

“You know, that is such total baloney.  I was asked by a reporter immediately afterwards.  I said of course I accept that he’s a Christian.  The guy didn’t ask me a question. The guy got up and stated his opinion.  I don’t have an obligation to go around and correct every single voter about every single topic.  I also didn’t agree with him,” Gingrich said.

Gingrich said that he accepts Obama is a Christian, but a Christian whose policies “apologize to Muslim extremists while they’re killing Americans at the same time that he’s waging war against the Catholic Church and against every right-to-life institution in this country.”

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