More 'Bologna!': Gingrich Faces Off Again With CNN's John King Over Debate Question

It was the GOP debate question heard the world-round. After introducing the candidates at CNN's Southern debate last Thursday, moderator John King asked candidate Newt Gingrich about his ex-wife's claim that the former speaker wanted an "open marriage."

On Tuesday night, following a barrage of media coverage, King and Gingrich faced off, once again, to address the appropriateness of the question at hand. King, who has defended the debate question, took Gingrich's critiques to task. In particular, he confronted the candidate's allegation that he's a part of the "elite media" who are purportedly seeking to take the candidate down. He said:

"I want to come back to your point there, sir. You were attacking me and calling me part of the elite media. We can debate whether it was an appropriate question at the beginning of debate. My business is debating that, but I could not have asked you the question if your ex-wife had not come forward. She’s a Republican, sir. She said she supports much of your principles. How was that an example of the elite media trying to protect Barack Obama?"

Gingrich responded by asking a number of questions. To begin, he pondered why ABC would go "drudge up something" that had already made headlines years ago. Additionally, he questioned the story's timing -- just days before an important primary.

"I would just suggest to you that when the only person you get is an ex-wife who wants to testify on the air just before a primary with nobody allowed to rebut her, there’s something a little goofy about that design," Gingrich said. "You didn’t have to take the bait. You didn’t have to pick it up. You could have ignored ABC," he continued, going on to say that there were other issues of importance that could have been addressed.

Watched the exchange, below:

Gingrich also alleges that ABC was offered people who could refute his ex-wife's story, but that the network wasn't interested. When King said that the network did, indeed, say that it would have interviewed people, but that the campaign hadn't offered, Gingrich responded, saying, "Oh, that is just plain bologna!" He reiterated that there were people ready and willing to rail against his ex's story.

The tone of the interview, while tense, was more cordial than it was at last week's debate when Gingrich responded to the question, saying, "I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office. I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that!"

This isn't the first time Gingrich has used the bologna line. He also used it in reference to Glenn Beck calling out his comments about "progressive" presidents.

(H/T: Mediaite)