Newt's comments occurred on 05.19 on MTP, and were a response to one of Gregory's typically mangled questions. A few days before, he had written an article over-the-top praising Ryan's plan... which people like you, and others, conveniently forget.. And, as per norm, Ryan has changed his plan to agree with many of Newt's tweaks... FACTS, REALITY, CONTEXT.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/02/does_ryan_now_agree_with_gingrich.html
Gingrich praised the Ryan plan in an article in Human Events on April 13. He called it the most serious attempt by an elected official to rethink our public finances and the modern welfare state in a generation. That is quite a compliment from a former speaker of the House to a current committee chairman. Using a golfing metaphor, Gingrich celebrated the plan, calling it a Ryan "eagle." Is that comparison a negative critique, or is it commendation? One week later, on April 20, Gingrich in the same space heaped more praise on the plan. He compared PaulRyan to PaulRevere, one of our nation's great heroes, and compared the Ryan Medicare plan with his own previous welfare reform. Why would he disparage something he would compare to one of his greatest achievements? Gingrich later said he would have voted for the plan if he had had the opportunity......
So Paul Ryan has now come to agree with Newt Gingrich about how Medicare reform should be implemented. No one should be surprised. Gingrich helped reform welfare during a Democrat presidency. He knows how to reform the whole entitlement leviathan.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/02/does_ryan_now_agree_with_gingrich.html
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/04/should-medicare-reforms-be-voluntary-newt-gingrich-would-tweak-paul-ryans-medicare-reforms/
"...that allowed Santorum to look like the adult in the room..."
Oh, dear, no offense, but Santorum NEVER looks like the adult in the room.
Duh! His candidacy would have been over if he hadn't.
The attack on the plan was a failed attempt at politically positing himself in the primary and he had to backtrack, something he has had to do many times.