On Your World a few days ago (3/26/12), Newt Gingrich spoke with Neil Cavuto about Rick Santorum cursing out a New York Times reporter. Cavuto asked, “Do you think this kind of behavior is hurting your opponent?” Gingrich pivoted to attacking President Obama. “I suspect whatever damage is done to him is a lot less than the damage Barack Obama just did by being caught on microphone promising to sell out our missile defense right after the election… As mistakes go, Obama’s mistake is a heck of a lot bigger than Santorum’s.”

Cavuto pounced, saying he “wanted to focus on that.” But instead of exploiting the opening for maximum anti-Obama points, he used it to question Gingrich's cred. Cavuto said, “The White House, I’m sure, will quibble with your characterization that he’s trying to sell out our missile defense.” He then played the dialogue between Russian President Medvedev and President Obama.

Cavuto asked, “Do you think that (Obama) was pre-stating that he was going to sell out our edge with them?”

Gingrich answered, “The Russians want him to dramatically back down on missile defense. The President’s essentially saying give me some space until the election, I’ve got a lot more flexibility after the election. What do you think he’s saying? …How many countries, whether it’s Iran or somewhere else, has he had a similar conversation with? ‘Let me pretend I’m tough long enough to get re-elected, then I’ll take care of you.’ It’s a very chilling comment. Where Rick Santorum might have lost his temper for a second, this is the President of the United States, supposed to be defending us, telling the Russians that he’s willing to give something up that he can’t publicly admit to now. So, I think the question for the President ought to be, what is it you plan to give the Russians after the election? Tell us now, so that the American people can decide whether or not that’s the gamble they want to take with their safety.”

Ordinarily, that would be an opening for a Fox News host to probe an Obama-critic's thoughts further. But Cavuto said, “But Speaker, he could just as easily be saying in my country it’s an election year, nothing is going to get done… right?”

Gingrich was undeterred. He called Obama’s policies, “appeasement, weakness, and apology.”

Comment: Osama Bin Laden died on President Obama’s watch, right Newt?

It’s interesting that with the Republicans (including Cavuto) trying to push Gingrich out of the race, that Cavuto challenged Gingrich’s attack (although did not mention Osama bin Laden).