Was Elliott Abrams lying about Newt over at NRO?

You may have heard Rush talking about this piece this morning: Jeffrey Lord over at The American Spectator takes former Reagan administration official Elliott Abrams to task for Abrams' NRO piece blasting Newt's "real" attitude toward Reagan.

Abrams' piece went viral and caused serious heartburn for many in the Newt camp.

One problem, according to Lord: Abrams' piece ain't true.

I'm sorry to say, what appears to be going on here is that Elliott Abrams, a considerably admirable public servant and a very smart guy, has been swept up in the GOP Establishment's Romney frothings over the rise of Newt Gingrich in the Republican primaries. He is even being accused of trolling for a job in a Romney administration. No way!!!! Really????

What else can possibly explain a piece like the one Abrams penned on a day when Gingrich was being of a mysterious sudden targeted in one hit piece after another for his ties to Reagan? The pieces invariably following the Romney line that Newt had some version of nothing to do with Reagan.

A piece like the one Abrams wrote depends for its success in garnering headlines -- which it did -- by assuming no one will bother to get into the weeds and do the homework. Usually a safe assumption when dealing with the mainstream media, particularly a mainstream media that, as one with Establishment Republicans, hates Newt Gingrich.

Using research from people who were major players at the time, Lord puts together a good defense of Newt and lays out a pretty damning case against Abrams' claims, a man who has had a pretty respectable record.

Read the whole thing and decide for yourself.