CNN's Jim Acosta tried to add some context to President Obama's infamous "you didn't build that" comment, during Tuesday's GOP convention coverage.
"But wasn't he talking about you need roads, you need bridges, get the supplies to your business," Acosta pressed Newt Gingrich, who scoffed at the Obama campaign's explanation as "total baloney." [Video below the break.]
Acosta had first asked about Tuesday night's GOP Convention theme of "We Built It," giving the Obama campaign's response.
"The theme tonight is 'We Built It.' There's a sign behind you that says it, it's on the walls here. The Obama campaign says 'Hey wait a minute, you took that out of context. That's taken out of context'," Acosta pressed Gingrich. "I think that's such total baloney," sounded Gingrich.
A transcript of the exchange, which aired during CNN's Republican National Convention coverage on August 28 at 8:42 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
JIM ACOSTA: The theme tonight is "We Built It." There's a sign behind you that says it, it's on the walls here. The Obama campaign says "Hey wait a minute, you took that out of context. That's taken out of context."
NEWT GINGRICH: I think that's such total baloney. We did a thing at Newt University today, people can see it at NewtUniversity.com. And we showed you what he said. Obama clearly was denigrating the work ethic, he was denigrating the –
ACOSTA: But wasn't he talking about you need roads, you need bridges, get the supplies to your business.
GINGRICH: You don't say to somebody you may think you worked hard – what does it have to do with roads? This President is pathetically dishonest. Over and over. The only person who out-dishonests him is Joe Biden, who's hopeless. And for the President not to be candid about what he was saying, he was giving us straight, socialist baloney. You, if you went out and worked hard – this is why.
ACOSTA: You really think the President's a socialist?
GINGRICH: I – well sure he is, of course he is. I mean, I don't see how you could have any other serious interpretation of it. This President would like government to run everything. He would like government to define –
ACOSTA: Name an industry that government has taken over, Mr. Speaker.
GINGRICH: Well, the government today increasingly runs the banks. The government today increasingly runs the auto industry –
(Crosstalk)
ACOSTA: That happened under the Bush administration, though, that started under Bush –
GINGRICH: No, a lot of the implementation is under Obama. Obama is increasingly encroaching on the energy industry, Obama – every time you turn around – they took over the student loan program, it's now a government-run program, so every time you turn around, Obama adds something new to government. Either through bureaucratic socialism, where you get to keep company, it's just they run it, or through direct takeover.
