I listened to the whole thing. Beck played clips of past remarks by Newt on climate change, health care, admiration of Teddy Roosevelt, etc. They sounded liberal, but Newt talked his way out of each of them.
Basically (my impression): Newt was saying, I’m really conservative but I’m also pragmatic.
There are plenty of Newt quotes around that make me squirm. He once said he was a “Hamiltonian,” i.e. strong, centralized government. I think the only thing that can save us is a renewed Federalism that diminishes the central government.
All said and done, I’m willing to take Newt (”warts and all”) if he can wipe out Obama and bring in a conservative Republican Congress with him.
One thing I like very much about Newt: He seems to have a passionate desire to cut the power of the judicial dictatorship and is willing, like Jefferson, to take strong means against them.
That definition, to me, sounds more like "I have no principles".