NBC's Lauer and Koppel Discuss 'Very Controversial' and 'Reckless' Newt Gingrich
On Monday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer asked new NBC special correspondent Ted Koppel about the success of Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign: "He has said some very controversial things over the last month....Is being outspoken – and some would even say a little bit reckless – necessarily a bad thing in this election cycle?"
Koppel lamented how Gingrich had not been damaged by scandal: "For some reason or another, the three marriages don't seem to have hurt Newt Gingrich. For some reason or another, taking 1.6 million from Freddie Mac [don't seem to have hurt]." He later observed that Gingrich was like the class clown of the GOP 2012 field: "There's the sort of kid that has everybody laughing in class all the time. At the moment, that's Newt."
Appearing on Sunday's Meet the Press, Koppel told moderator David Gregory that the idea that Gingrich could be overcoming past political baggage, "leaves me absolutely breathless."
At the top of the segment, Lauer asked Koppel about Mitt Romney offering to make a $10,000 bet with Rick Perry during Saturday's Republican debate. Even then, Koppel turned to attack Gingrich: "Newt Gingrich has been bragging in recent weeks that, you know, he didn't need all that money from, you know, representing Freddie Mac because, after all, he was pulling down 60 grand a pop for his lectures. Doesn't seem to bother anybody."
Lauer responded by observing how supposedly out of touch all of the Republican candidates were: "So when you look up at the row of candidates up there and none of them seem to be in the same group or bracket or income bracket as the people they're trying to win the votes from right now, you got people hurting, people out of jobs. It just doesn't seem relatable."
At the end of the exchange, Koppel previewed his debut report for Monday night's Rock Center, about the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq: "I think it's dreadful. We've got between 16,000 and 17,000 Americans that we're leaving behind at what is the largest embassy in the world....There have already been threats against the diplomats there saying, 'As soon as the troops leave, we're coming after you diplomats.'"
Lauer actually alluded to the complete troop pullout being a failure of the Obama administration: "So are you saying this is the inappropriate time to pull these troops out? Is this fulfilling a campaign promise at all costs?"
Koppel replied: "I'm saying that the military commanders did not want to take the U.S. troops out at this time. The man who is in charge, General Lloyd Austin, wanted to leave 27,000 there."
It will interesting to see if any direct criticism of President Obama is included in Koppel's upcoming Rock Center report.
Here is a full transcript of Lauer's December 12 exchange with Koppel:
7:05AM ET
MATT LAUER: Veteran newsman Ted Koppel is now a special correspondent for NBC's Rock Center. We're thrilled about that. Ted, good to see you. Good morning.
TED KOPPEL: It's only taken me 50 years, I used to be a page here.
LAUER: There you go. You've gone all the way to the top. When you – you have covered a lot of campaigns, you've seen a lot of debates. When you heard Mitt Romney challenge Rick Perry to a $10,000 bet, what was your first reaction?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Decision 2012; Is Romney Trying to Hedge His "Bet"?]
TED KOPPEL: It's a whoops moment and it's a whoops moment at this particular point in the campaign that can hurt him a lot because he just seems to be vulnerable right now and Newt Gingrich is clearly on a roll. But think about it for a moment, Newt Gingrich has been bragging in recent weeks that, you know, he didn't need all that money from, you know, representing Freddie Mac because, after all, he was pulling down 60 grand a pop for his lectures. Doesn't seem to bother anybody.
LAUER: So when you look up at the row of candidates up there and none of them seem to be in the same group or bracket or income bracket as the people they're trying to win the votes from right now, you got people hurting, people out of jobs. It just doesn't seem relatable.
KOPPEL: But what I'm saying is for some reason or another, it didn't hurt Newt Gingrich when he said that. For some reason or another, the three marriages don't seem to have hurt Newt Gingrich. For some reason or another, taking 1.6 million from Freddie Mac-
LAUER: Well, why do you think there's a difference and why are we holding them to different standards?
KOPPEL: I think what happens is you, you know, you hit a streak. Newt Gingrich is on a streak right now. It happens to be coming just as the Iowa primaries are going to begin and he may be able to run that streak all the way to the Republican nominating convention.
LAUER: Yeah, if you want to hit a streak, this is the time to hit a streak.
KOPPEL: This is the time to hit it.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Decision 2012; Has Gingrich Maintained Front-Runner Status?]
LAUER: He has said some very controversial things over the last month, Ted. He's talked about child labor and the poor. He's talked about the Palestinians, at the end of last week, calling them "an invented people." Is being outspoken – and some would even say a little bit reckless – necessarily a bad thing in this election cycle? Or do you think people want someone who is not business as usual?
KOPPEL: You know, I always used to say there was something, there was kind of a Richard Nixon quality in the world. Richard Nixon is the kid who, in high school, did everything the right way and if one day he screws up in the slightest way, teacher comes down on him like a ton of bricks. And then there's the sort of kid that has everybody laughing in class all the time. At the moment, that's Newt.
LAUER: And we'll see what happens with just 21 or 22 days to go until Iowa. One of the reasons you're here this morning is you've got a great story on Rock Center tonight. You went to Iraq as the last U.S. troops prepare to withdraw at the end of the month. What do you think about the stability there right now as we – as we draw our troops down?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Iraq After the U.S.; Koppel On His "Rock Center" Debut]
KOPPEL: I think it's dreadful. We've got between 16,000 and 17,000 Americans that we're leaving behind at what is the largest embassy in the world. We have two consulates. You know what a consulate is, you know, a couple of people who stamp you're visas. We've got a consulate down in Basra, which is the main oil area of Iraq, of 1,320 people. They get rocket fire two and three times a week. The first thing that happens when you go to the consulate is they sit you down with a cup of coffee and they give you a briefing on what to do when the rockets start coming in. There have already been threats against the diplomats there saying, "As soon as the troops leave, we're coming after you diplomats."
LAUER: So are you saying this is the inappropriate time to pull these troops out? Is this fulfilling a campaign promise at all costs?
KOPPEL: I'm saying that the military commanders did not want to take the U.S. troops out at this time. The man who is in charge, General Lloyd Austin, wanted to leave 27,000 there. They are – I'm talking about the diplomats and all the other Americans who are still in Iraq – are terribly, terribly vulnerable. Don't be surprised if some of them become almost like pawns over the next few months.
LAUER: Ted Koppel. And Ted's going to have more on that side of the story tonight on Rock Center. It's always good to have you here, Ted.
KOPPEL: Thank you, Matt. Always a pleasure.
LAUER: Come back and see us soon.
KOPPEL: Thank you.
LAUER: Great to have you.
- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.
